Digimon: A Bigger Threat
by Shmeilia Rockie
Summary: Alternate ending to 02. Demons invade the Digital World and the kids are called to drive them away. Focuses on Davis, but he doesn't have an easy time. Warning: I started this back when Ken was the Emperor, and the spelling's bad.
1. A New Quest

Digimon: A Bigger Threat  
Episode 1  
"The New Quest"  
  
By: Shmeilia Rockie  
  
  
  
*A/N: This episode has bugged me since it's creation, so I just had to fix certain parts of it (Mainly the Gennai parts). I breifly considered adding a commercial, but couldn't come up with one. Oh well. I hope that, this way, maybe, more people won't be turned off at the first episode. So enjoy!*  
  
  
  
Ken felt the presence long before a bright light woke him. He sat up in bed and turned to see a familiar figure. Oddly, he seemed a bit transparent. "Gennai? What are you doing here?"  
  
"Something has gone terribly wrong, Ken. There is a war being fought in the Digital World even as we speak."  
  
"What?" Ken jumped from his bed and grabbed his D3, but Gennai held up a hand.  
  
"I need to borrow your body."  
  
"Huh?" Now he began to question if he really wasn't dreaming. "What happened?"  
  
"I've been mortally wounded. I can't carry on in my own body any more. Don't worry, I won't stay long. But I need to talk to the other Digidestined before I can move on. Please."  
  
Ken ran his fingers through his hair, still extremely confused. "If you must, you must."  
  
Gennai smiled and bowed. "Thank you. I promise all things will become clear soon."  
  
* * * *  
  
"Beep-Beep! Beep-Beep! Beep-Ba-Da-Deedle-Eep! Beep-Beep!"  
  
An annoying noise woke Davis from his daily nap in Study Hall. It was a shame, too. He was dreaming about Veemon. It had been quite a while since he'd last seen his good friend.  
  
Davis cracked one eye open and searched for the origin of the disturbance, but found none. "Could someone turn off their cell phone? It's getting really annoying."  
  
The teacher glared at him over her half-moon glasses. "I do believe that annoying sound is coming from you, Mr. Motomiya."  
  
He wiped the sleep out of his eyes. "Oh, sorry." He rummaged around in his vest pockets for his D-3. It had to be what was going off, and that wasn't a good sign. It had been a few years since he had last needed it, but he still carried it with him out of habit. Good thing too.  
  
'Emergency' flashed in big red letters. Davis stared at it in shock for a few seconds, then pushed a button. The warning and the beeping disappeared and were replaced by 'urgent message' scrolling across the screen.  
  
So, Davis dug around in his bag for his mini-computer and checked his E-mail. There was a message from Ken.  
  
-Digidestined-  
  
The Digital World is being invaded. Not by an evil Digimon, not by a human, but by a larger force. I will explain later. You must get to the old Digi-port as soon as possible. Please hurry The very future of the DigiWorld depends on it.  
  
-Ken  
  
  
"What does he mean 'larger force'?" Davis asked, his eyes wide. This was starting to look very, very bad. But if the Digital World needed him...  
  
He stuck the D-3 and the computer in his pocket and jumped out of his seat. He ran to the teacher's desk. "I don't feel so good."  
  
The teacher slammed down her pen and ripped off her glasses. "If this is a trick so you can answer your pager, then you can just forget it."  
  
But Davis was a master of excuses. "No, really. I-I think I'm gonna barf!"  
  
She stared at him for what seemed like a very long time, watching for any sign of deception in his eyes. He gave her none, and even managed to turn a convincing shade of green. "Go!"  
  
No one needed to tell him twice. Davis got out of that class like it was going to explode. He ran down the hallway, visions of Veemon and the other Digimon in danger racing through his head. Who knew what was happening to them. Realizing he was starting to get carried away, Davis forced himself to stop and prioritize. Yolei had a special computer programming class outside of the building, so he couldn't tell her. And Cody was still in Junior High, but that meant he was the closest to the Digi-port, so he was okay for now. Kari and TK had History class together this hour. He'd get them first.  
  
He dashed over to their classroom and looked in the little window on the door. Kari was handing out papers, a look of satisfaction on her face. In between kids she just happened to glance in Davis's direction. He mouthed to her, "I need to talk to you." She glared at him in disgust and went back to her work. "Oh, come on Kari. Don't be like that. We don't have the time!" The next time she looked at him he waved his D-3 at her. That got her attention, all right.  
  
She walked calmly over to TK, got at eye level with him, and handed him a paper. She jerked her head towards the door. He looked at Davis and nodded slightly. They stared wordlessly at each other for a few seconds and put together a plan for getting out of there. Even though Kari didn't really say anything he knew what she was about to do. Their bond had become that close. Davis hated it.  
  
When Kari stood back up, she stumbled and caught the edge of TK's desk. She started to collapse, but TK caught her. He yelled something at the teacher, then quickly led her out of the room. They walked down the hall to a bench, where TK gently forced Kari to sit down. Davis carefully approached them. Their act had actually fooled him. "Are you okay, Kari?"  
  
"Of course I'm okay," she snapped bitterly. "This better be good, Davis. I did not just faint for nothing."  
  
"No, you didn't." He handed her Ken's message and she read it quietly to herself. Her eyes went wide, no doubt she was thinking the same things Davis had. She handed it to TK  
  
"Okay, four questions," TK said after reading over it a few times. "One: What's Ken doing back in the Digital World? Two: What does he mean, 'The very future depends on it'? Three: Why the old Digi-Port, and not just any computer? And four: How does he expect us to get to the Digi-port in the middle of school?"  
  
There was a long pause. Davis scratched his head thoughtfully. "No idea, T.E."  
  
TK snorted at this.  
  
"Go call my brother at home." Kari handed Davis some money and motioned for him to go.  
  
Davis stared at her with an extremely blank look on his face. "Isn't Tai a senior this year?"  
  
Kari sighed. "Yeah, Davis. He doesn't have the last two hours. Normally, he'd be at work right now, but he's got today off. He can come get us."  
  
"Oh." He trotted in the direction of the pay-phones.  
  
The two watched him leave. "You know, sometimes I worry about him," TK commented.  
  
Kari agreed, "Sometimes I wonder if he has a hole in his head."  
  
"That was some good acting, Kari. For a second there you had me really worried."  
  
She smiled sweetly at him. "Really?"  
  
He nodded. "And you sure had Davis convinced."  
  
She surpressed a laugh. "Yeah, but it doesn't take much to fool him. You know that."  
  
They laughed a little and then lapsed into a nervous silence. They scanned the hallway for people, but since the hour was only half over there were very few. Those who were there went about their business and didn't bother to ask why TK and Kari were just sitting there looking extremely guilty.  
  
Davis returned, out of breath. "He'll get here in about five minutes."  
  
TK checked his watch. "I hope so. The longer we sit here the more likely it is that a teacher will come along and ask us what we're doing here."  
  
"Forget about teachers," Davis snapped. "What you should be worried about is our Digimon."  
  
Kari interrupted before that could lead to a fight. "If someone asks, I'm sick and you two are escorting me to the nurse, okay?"  
  
They mumbled and looked away from each other.  
  
She stood up and grabbed TK's arm like she was going to pass out. He looked at her with concern and she winked at him. Together, they headed towards the stairs, taking the long route that passed by the nurses office. Davis stared after them, jealousy clouding his thoughts. They did that just to make him mad, and he knew it. But they really did like each other. Always had. And he didn't stand a chance of coming between them. That's what got to him. He grabbed Kari's elbow and led them down the hall.  
  
Amazingly, they made it outside and to Tai's jeep without getting caught. "What's going on, guys?" Tai asked Kari as she climbed into the front seat.  
  
"Something's happening to the Digital World," she told him, buckling her seatbelt.  
  
"Well, I know that," he said watching the other two get in the back.  
  
"Yeah, I told him," Davis said crossly. "We need to get to the old Digi-port, now."  
  
"No problem." Noting that everyone was securely fastened to their seats, Tai peeled out of the parking lot.  
  
The four high school students felt incredibly big being back in Middle School again. Especially Tai. It's amazing how much a school can shrink in a few years.  
  
They headed for the computer room that used to be their little meeting place. The room was completely void of people except one kid sitting at one running computer, looking very guilty for having also cut class. Cody had changed a lot over the past few years. He had grown almost as tall as Davis, and wore some of the coolest clothes. He'd grown his hair out, too. A grim, almost angry expression seemed to linger on his face. He might have looked that way, but inside, he was still the same old Cody. "I'm glad you made it. I was beginning to get worried."  
  
"Well, we're here now, so let's get going," Davis rubbed his hands together impatiently.  
  
Cody stared at him, his face not hinting at any kind of emotion. "Where's Yolei?"  
  
"She's got that computer programming class down at the mall," Kari explained quietly.  
  
"I don't think we can afford to wait for her," Davis said. He pulled his computer and showed it to Cody, but Cody didn't even look at it.  
  
He frowned. "I got one too, but I don't think we should go without Yolei."  
  
Tai spoke up. "I agree with Cody. If you go in there missing a member you'll be more vulnerable. Remember, you're a team. It should be all or nothing."  
  
Davis never was very good at being patient. He growled in frustration and paced around the room like a caged animal.  
  
The clock ticked incessantly on.  
  
After twenty solid minutes of waiting Tai was beginning to get restless too. "Maybe you should go on with out her."  
  
"It doesn't feel right, though," Cody complained.  
  
"I know," Tai agreed. "But I'll stay here and watch over you. If... When... she shows up I'll send her in after you, okay?"  
  
Cody shook his head and ran his fingers through his messy hair. "Fine, but I still have a very bad feeling about this."  
  
They held their digi-vices to the computer screen and were automatically sucked in.   
  
"Man, what happened here?"  
  
Nothing the Digidestined had gone through before could have ever prepared them for what they saw. The landsape lay decimated before them, like the scarred land after a nuclear bomb. Nothing seemed recognizable for as far as the eye could see. The trees, the grass, and even the Digimon had been reduced to smoking ashes. Permanent black clouds hung in the sky, blocking out almost all of the light. It was like coming home after being away for an extremely long time, only to find your home and your loved ones destroyed. In fact, that's exactly what it was. Everything lay fallen, dead and cold.  
  
When the full impact hit, the kids didn't want to believe it.  
  
Davis fell to his knees, grabbed a hand full of ashes, and let them slip though his fingers. He whimpered incoherently.  
  
Kari clamped her hand over her mouth and began shaking with silent sobs. TK reassuringly put his hands on her shoulders, but he also had tears in his eyes.  
  
Cody simply shut his eyes and turned away from the others. "I knew it was going to be bad, but I had no idea how bad. There's nothing left... Nothing."  
  
"Our Digimon," Davis whispered. "Veemon. There's no way they could have survived."  
  
"Actually," a familliar voice called, "There is a way."  
  
All turned to see who made such a confident statement. Standing completely out of place in the middle of the ruins was the sixth member of their group. He wore highly polished sliver armor with the crest of Kindness stamped in black across his chestplate. A dark blue, almost black velvet cape flowed behined him. He shinned like a becon in the darkness. "Ken?"  
  
"No, not really." He approached them slowly, purposefully. His voice rang loud and clear, the only sound besides the kids' breathing in the silence. "I'm glad you made it, Digidestined. It's been a while since I sent for you."  
  
When he got close enough, Cody stepped forward. "What do you mean, you're not Ken. You look just like him."  
  
"True, this is Ken's body," he said staring down at his gloved hands. "But I am definately not him."  
  
Everyone stared at him in disbelieving silence until something clicked in the mind of the youngest memeber. "You're Gennai, aren't you?"  
  
"Very good, Cody." Gennai smiled approvingly. "It's been a while, hasn't it, Digidestined?"  
  
Kari stepped closer to him. "Why are you in Ken's body?"  
  
"Yeah," Davis called, "And where's Ken?"  
  
"His soul's taking a little nap in limbo, but he'll come back once I leave. Don't worry, this was his choice. I didn't force myself into him. Like some people." He frowned.  
  
"Gennai," TK asked quietly, "Why are you doing this? Why didn't you just come here in person?"  
  
"Well, that's part of why I sent for you. The Digital World has been invaded-"  
  
Cody interrupted, throwing up his hands. "Yeah, you already said that in your E-mail. Please, tell us something we don't already know."  
  
"-by demons."  
  
"Demons?" Kari asked.  
  
"Yes demons. I'm surprised they didn't arrive sooner. They are what destroyed everything. Including my body, which is why Ken lent me his. I don't have much time, but I will try to explain everything. Starting with your digimon."  
  
"Are they...Are they all dead?" Davis asked.  
  
"No, I took great care to make sure they escaped the destruction. They're in hiding."  
  
Cody crossed his arms impatiently. "I still don't understand what happened."  
  
"The Second Great Cleansing happened."  
  
"The Second Cleansing? Is that what'd you call this mess?" Davis waved a gloved hand around at the wasteland.  
  
"Yes, the first came with the group before you, resulting in the rebirth of the Digital World. This was the second. It's brought about the potentiality of Paradise. The next and last Cleansing will destroy this place forever-"  
  
"No!" Davis cried, turning away.  
  
"I won't except this," TK stated, also getting extremely upset. (Can you blame him?)  
  
"I'm sorry," Gennai explained. "But it's not up to me. After the DigiWorld is gone, it will be replaced with a better one. A world called Paradise where no one gets sick or tired, and time stands still for eternity."  
  
"Yeah," Cody mumbled, "But I bet we will die before seeing it."  
  
"It will also get rid of all those on Earth who have evil in their hearts. In the end its inhabitents, those with pure souls, will join you in Paradise."  
  
"No, this is terrible!" Kari cried, visions of Earth blowing up playing themselves out before her.  
  
Gennai raised one eyebrow. "Is it really? Because you're helping protect this place, you will get to witness the creation of Paradise. You'll also be the first ones to live there."  
  
"Yeah, but we DO have to die first, don't we?" Cody asked, becoming more fed up with the situation with every new thing that was said.  
  
Gennai waved his hand dissmissively. "A minor sacrafice. You love it here, don't you?"  
  
There was a weak collective of, "yes"  
  
"And your Digimon?"  
  
Another, stronger agreement.  
  
"And most importantly, your friends? Your family?"  
  
"Okay, okay! We get it!" Davis yelled, getting in his face. "So why are we here?"  
  
"You need to drive the demons away."  
  
Davis snorted. "Ah, yeah. How do we do this?"  
  
"Well, it won't be easy. You each will need to... Digivolve, if you will, to the next level of Digidestined."  
  
"There's more than one level of Digidestined?" Cody asked, a look of amusement creeping across his face.  
  
"Of course. But to do this you will need will need to accomplish different tasks that will prove your worth. I'll say right now, though, that one of you will betray your friends, and the only way for you to get home will be to turn that person around. Otherwise, you'll be stuck here forever."  
  
There was another long pause. In the silence, the wind blew the ashes around like drifting snow, without making any kind of sound. They could practically hear each other's hearts beating.  
  
"Are you up to it?" Gennai asked.  
  
"No," Davis said, talking to his shoes. "But I'll do it anyway."  
  
Gennai sighed, suddenly seeming very tired. "How about the rest of you? It must be all or nothing."  
  
TK and Kari looked at each other and nodded.  
  
"Cody?"  
  
The youngest member had become quiet as the decision pulled him in several different directions. "Can we go home if we don't decide to do this?"  
  
"Do you really think you can just walk away from here, knowing that you may never see Armadillomon again or even know if he is safe?"  
  
"Even if I decide to go through with this mission, there's still Yolei. She may not want to go." He paused. "And what about Ken?"  
  
Gennai looked down at the armour that covered Ken's body. "He's already made his choice. Otherwise, he wouldn't have already undergone his transformation."  
  
"I don't want to do this," Cody stated flatly. He clentched his fists. "But I guess that really doesn't matter. I need to do this."  
  
Satisfaction crossed Gennai's face. "That's more like it. Now, are you ready to lead these guys?"  
  
Cody looked at him like he was mentally deficent. "Me? Why me? I'm no leader. Davis is. Right Davis?"  
  
"I thought so," Davis replied, just as confused as Cody.  
  
"No," Gennai said quietly. "Not on this mission. Only the one with the Crest of Knowledge can lead this time."  
  
Cody opened his mouth to say something in protest, but then changed his mind. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut and mumbled to himself, "This doesn't make any sense."  
  
Gennai put a hand on Cody's shoulder. "Believe me, it will. Are you ready?"  
  
Cody took a deep breath and looked him confedently in the eye. "Yes. I am ready."  
  
A blinding light and burst of wind surrounded the boy, throwing Gennai back and forcing everyone to sheild their eyes. Like what happens when a Digimon Armour Digivolves, gold plates attached themselves to his body, and a golden helmet with a big white feather on top slid onto his head. The purple Crest of Knowledge stamped itself onto the front of the helmet. To top it off, a big white velvet cape grew behind him.  
  
The light faded away. Cody blinked several times in shock, and a goofy, very un-Cody-like grin spread across his face. "Wow, what a trip!"  
  
"Okay," TK laughed shakily. "That was seriously strange."  
  
"Cool trick, though," Kari said, dusting herself off.  
  
Gennai slowly climbed to his feet. He coughed for having the wind knocked out of him. "Now, I think it's safe to let Ken return."  
  
"No," Kari whined. "Please don't go. We still need you."  
  
But he held up his hand. A hand that wasn't really his. "No, I've been here long enough. Cody will tell you anything you need to know from now on. Besides, Ken still has an extremely important role to play in this mission."  
  
"Uh-oh," Cody whispered. Just then, Yolei fell from the sky and landed at Cody's feet. "Hey! I knew that was going to happen!"  
  
"Well, then, you could have done something to help me ou-" she looked up at him. "Wow, lookin' good, Cody."  
  
He pulled her to her feet. They were almost at eye level with each other. "Did I miss something?"  
  
"Oh, yeah, Yolei," Davis said, adjusting his goggles. "I'll say you missed something. The Digital World has been blown up in an attempt at cleansing it (Whatever that means), Cody just Armour Digivolved, and Ken-"  
  
Ken fell to the ground, unconscious. Everyone rushed to his aid.  
  
"What happened to him?!" Yolei shreiked, shaking in shear fear.  
  
"Gennai released Ken's body," Cody told her. Of course, she had absouletely no idea what he was talking about. "He should come back now."  
  
Sure enough, Ken's eyes slowly opened. He was slow to registure anything. He whispered, "Hey, guys. Am I back, now?"  
  
"Yes, it's good to see you again," Davis said.  
  
Ken sat up and rubbed the side of his head. Then he noticed the surrounding scene. "What in the..."  
  
Cody pat him on the shoulder. "I'll explain in a moment. This is going to take a while. Can you travel?"  
  
He climbed shakily to his feet and dusted himself off. "I guess."  
  
"Good. Come on, everyone. Let's go to Infinity Mountain." Cody started on a path that had not been there a few minutes before, guided by some unseen force. Ken shrugged and fell in step behind him. Yolei trotted up beside Ken.  
  
"What's at Infinity Mountain?" Kari asked, slowly following them.  
  
Cody looked over his shoulder. "Our Digimon."  
  
Yolei pointed at Cody's back. "Uh, okay. How'd he know that?"  
  
"It's a long story," Kari said from behind her.  
  
"Yeah," TK added, "You missed the show, although I got a strange feeling you'll get another chance to see it."  
  
"Okaay," Yolei said, looking at Ken.  
  
He shrugged again. "Don't look at me. I know just as much as you do."  
  
TK crossed his arms thoughtfully. "You know, almost everything we did when we first came to the Digital World was centered around Infinity Mountain, but you new Digidestined probably never even heard of it. I wonder why that is."  
  
"Uh, guys," Davis interrupted from way in back. "This is going to take a really long time."  
  
* * * *  
  
"So, I-I don't get it," Yolei complained cluelessly.   
  
Cody started to explain again, but Ken stopped him. "I've figured it out, now. We've been sent here to rebuild the Digital World. Each time one of us 'Armor Digivolves' something gets repaired. When I did it, the Digi-port reopened. Cody's transformation brought back the buildings-"  
  
"But-what about over there..." Yolei interrupted rather loudly, pointing at some moss covered granite blocks off to their left.  
  
"Those ruins were here a long time before we got back, Yolei," Ken told her, a hint of impatientence in his voice.  
  
She opened her mouth to say something else, but decided it wasn't worth the effort. "Continue, please."  
  
Ken hesitated. "That's it. That's all I wanted to say."  
  
"Oh," she shrugged. "Okay, whatever."  
  
Cody's cool new helmet started to slip to one side and he paused to adjust it. TK, Kari, and finally Davis caught up with him. Everyone looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to say something important. He really didn't have anything terribly inspiring to tell them, though especially since motivational speaking wasn't his strongest area. "Does anybody have a watch?" They all fell over. That wasn't what they were expecting to hear.  
  
Davis walked foreward, his hands held close to his chest inside his jacket. "Don't you have a clock in your brain?"  
  
"I'm choosing to ignore that," Cody coldly told him, looking at everyone else for help. They shook their heads appologetically.  
  
Finally, they needed Davis for something. Smirking, he announced in a clear voice, "Well, if it means anything to you, oh Glorious Leader-"  
  
That pushed Cody almost too far. "Shut up, Davis."  
  
Davis wasn't listening. He pulled his left arm through the sleeve of his jacket and pushed back his glove. "-I have a watch. Like you care."  
  
"Fine, Davis. You can be our offical Time Keeper. Can you handle it?"  
  
He saluted, and exclaimed, "Yes, sir. My pleasure, SIR!"  
  
Meanwhile, Ken found his D-3 and pushed a few buttons. He held it up for everyone to see and cleared his throat. "Uh, sorry to disappoint you, Davis, but our D-3's have the time built into them."  
  
Davis slapped his forehead and wondered away, none the less disappionted.  
  
The others got their D-3's and confirmed Ken's findings, feeling a bit foolish for forgetting that handy feature.  
  
Yolei wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to keep warm. She whinned through chattering teeth, "I'm s-sooo cold. Lets start moving again. PLEASE?"  
  
So they trotted off once again in the direction of Infinity Mountain, falling into yet another lapse of silence in which the only sounds were their footsteps on the rocky dirt path. "I'm hungry," she complained. "I think it's just the right time for me to be eating lunch."  
  
"I'm hungry too," Davis told her.  
  
"Yeah, guys, I haven't eatten since... Who know's when," Ken said, a with look combined of confusion and disgust at not knowing how long Gennai had borrowed his body. He crossed his arms. "But the thing is... there's nothing to eat here. There's nothing here, period."  
  
"Well, actually there are buildings and roads," Cody corrected.  
  
"Yeah, but you can't eat buildings and roads," he mumbled.  
  
TK raised his hand like he was in class. "I have a handfull of sour apple Jolly Ranchers and I think there's enough for each of us."  
  
Yolei gave him a huge hug. "Oh, thankyouthankyouthankyou, TK You're the absolute BEST!"  
  
"Thanks Yolei," TK garbled, "But please stop squeezing me before I pass out."  
  
She let go of him, but hovered closely over his shoulder while he dug around in his pocket for the treats. They glittered in the dim light like little emeralds. Everyone clustered around with their hands out, waiting impatiently for his kind gift of life-saving sugar. He handed them out with out counting them first. Yolei, Davis, Cody, Ken, and-  
  
"Uh-oh," he said, looking pathetically at Kari.  
  
She looked at his hand. Only one remained. "There isn't enough?"  
  
TK sighed, took her hand, placed it into her palm, and closed her fingers over it. "I don't need it."  
  
She smiled wordlessly at him and pocketed it.  
  
There was a rustle of plastic wrappers as everyone except TK and Kari quickly stuffed their lunches in their mouths. They acted as if they'd never eatten candy before in their lives, giggling and drooling and basicly just being a little over enthusiastic about it.  
  
Watching the others make fools of themselves, Kari gave TK's hand a slight squeeze. "Thanks."  
  
He laughed and put his arm around her. "Calm down, Kari. It's only a piece of candy. No big deal, right?"  
  
She looked down at her shoes. "No, that's not what I ment. I could care less about the candy, but... It's the point. You just gave it to me. That says a lot."  
  
"It does?"  
  
A blush creeped across Kari's face. "I-I know how you love your junk food."  
  
"Well, I'd give up any day. For you," he said quietly.  
  
She looked into his big blue eyes, and he smiled sweetly. They stood there, lost in the moment that, unfortunatly, was ruined before it could lead anywhere.  
  
"Hey, you two," Davis yelled. "Stop actin' all mushy and let's get goin'"  
  
"What's your problem, Davis?" TK replied quickly removing his arm. "We're in no hurry,"  
  
Davis got in TK's face. "How can you say that? Every minute we stay here chatting, is one more minute our Digimon have to wait for us. We need to find them before those demon-things get to 'em!"  
  
"I know that," he said through clenched teeth, trying hard to resist the urge to beat Davis up. "You don't have to be so pushy."  
  
"Oh, don't I? We are wasting time-"  
  
"Yeah, fighting IS a waste of time," Kari pushed herself between the two of them to stare pointedly at Davis.  
  
The air between the two boys crackled with electric tension. Kari stood between them, but one more angry word and it really wouldn't matter. Someone had to do something before the situation got any worse.  
  
"Let's go guys," Cody said in a deadly quiet voice. He turned his back to them with a swish of his cloak and stomped down the path. Ken and Yolei obediently followed without question.  
  
"Later, Pretty Boy," Davis spat and started after them.  
  
"You're just jealous," TK returned in an equally harsh tone.  
  
"TK-Don't." Kari grabbed his arm.  
  
It hurt terribly that she wasn't on his side. "Well, he is."  
  
"Just let it go." She walked away, leaving him there to wonder what had just happened. One minute, it seemed like they were about to kiss, and the next minute, she's leaving him. He never could figure her out. He sighed, and slowly tried to catch up with the others.  
  
"I don't like this," Ken whispered to Yolei. "This is a very bad time to be fighting. We need to stick together as a team, or..."  
  
"Or?" She asked after he trailed off.  
  
He shook his head. "I don't know. I just have a bad feeling about those two."  
  
"They've always been like this, though," Yolei told him. She crunched the last the Jolly Rancher and swallowed loudly. "It's because they both like Kari."  
  
He grunted. "Well, I can see that. This creates a problem."  
  
"What, then," Cody called from over his shoulder, "do you suppose we do about it?"  
  
"I'm not sure."  
  
"Well, we haven't got much further to go. Despite our setbacks we've been making good time. We should be to where our Digimon are hiding in about an hour."  
  
"Where are they hiding, anyway?" Ken asked. "Where could they hide? Everything was completely blown away."  
  
Cody turned around and walked backwards. Mysteriously, he stepped over every little bump, every crack in the road that normally would have tripped him. "They're hiding in glitches-"  
  
"Glitches?" Yolei scratched her head in confusion.  
  
"You know, loop holes in the program, that aren't supposed to be there?" Ken attempted to explain.  
  
"That's weird. I didn't even know there were glitches in the Digital World."  
  
"But once we're there," Ken asked, already about fourty steps ahead, "How do we get to them? It's not like they can hear us, right?"  
  
"Search me," Cody shrugged, stepping around the corner of a large stone block that stuck out into the path, without even turning around. Yolei smacked into it. "You okay?"  
  
She wobbled around slightly and put both hands on her head to stop the spinning. "Yeah, I'll be...FINE? How'd you see that coming? It's like you have eyes in the back of your head!"  
  
He shook his head. A grin tried to cross his face and he fought hard to keep serious. "Yolei, I'm wearing a helmet."  
  
"Nyaah, that's just weird," was the only responce she had to that.  
  
They continued on the path, completely unaware that they were being watched by evil eyes.  
  
  
  
What will the Digidestined find at Infinity Mountain?  
Did their Digimon make it?  
Where are those 'demons' now?  
And what is their plan for the Digidestined?  
  
Find out in Episode 2:  
"Loosing Davis" 


	2. Loosing Davis

Digimon: A Bigger Threat  
Episode 2  
"Loosing Davis"  
  
By: Shmeilia Rockie  
  
  
Author's note: I do not own Digimon, or any of the characters. This series is based off a couple of dreams I've been having. I'm introducing new characters, including my babies, my cartoon monsters, Garz and Zarg. The Digimon and Digidestined are not mine, but Garz, Zarg, and Keesma are. The morning after I wrote the, uh... boat scene in this one, '20,000 Digi-Leagues Under the Sea' was the new episode! *Taps fingers together and smirks evily* Soon, I will be to the point when it gets REALLY good. *Shmeilia's too lazy to re-write her early episodes, so please forgive*  
  
  
  
From a distance a pair of glowing red eyes watched the unsuspecting Digidestined as they trod along the dirt path. "Foolish children. They have no idea what they have gotten themselves into." The voice rasped, cold, inhuman.  
  
The kids came nearer to some ruins at the base of Infinity Mountain, where their Digimon were supposedly hiding. That location had been far from the center of the Dark Explosion that had ripped the Digital World to its knees. That was the only reason those miserable creatures passing themselves as monsters had survived.  
  
The eyes scanned each kid, looking for the perfect target.   
  
Immeditately, they were drawn to Kari. She gave off such a strong aura it was almost as if she had a spotlight on her. There existed in her a power so great that only one with an outside view of things could understand it. Could she be the Key, the individual destined to reshape the universe to create Paradise? Control her, and not even the great Powers could interfere. But there was no getting directly to her. Period. She was protected. The same went for TK, her gaurdian and soul mate. But there was a way of getting at her indirectly.  
  
Next came the youngest member, Cody. He was out because of his intimate connection to the Powers, he could see anything coming from a thousand miles away.  
  
Neither Yolei nor Ken were very close to Kari, therefore had no use. The evil presence barely gave them a glance.  
  
But there was one other member. His feelings for her could be easily manipulated. They made him weak. Yes, Davis was the perfect choice.  
  
"Sheesh, I haven't done this much walking since...Never!" Davis complained. "Aren't we there yet?"  
  
"No!" was the collective responce.  
  
"Oh, man, I'm out of shape," he mumbled to himself. "As soon as we get back I'm hittin' the gym."  
  
"Doesn't playing soccer give you enough exercise?" Ken asked.  
  
"Not really."  
  
"He eats too much junk food," TK jokingly commented. He had already put their earlier disagreement behind him.  
  
Unfortunately, Davis had not. "You should know, T.Z., I'm not the one with half a package of Jolly Ranchers in my pocket!"  
  
TK rolled his eyes and decided he wouldn't even bother responding to that.  
  
"I could draw up a training schedule for you, Davis," Ken offered enthusiastically, rubbing his hands together.  
  
Davis knew that probably ment getting up at the crack of dawn, and running fifty miles every day, rain or shine. For better or for worse. "Um, that's nice, Ken. Thanks for offering, but I don't-"  
  
Ken slapped him on the back. "Nonsense! This will be more fun than ANY gym!"  
  
Davis could only cough in responce.  
  
"You see those ruins over there?" Cody called from way out in front. "Our Digimon should be in there somewhere."  
  
Yolei trotted up next to him. "That's great, Cody, but how do we find them?"  
  
"One of them will find us, I guess."  
  
Now that they were getting so close, their spirits began to lift. "Come on, what are we waiting for?" TK broke into a run. Laughing, he yelled, "I'll race you!"  
  
It was a bit further away than any of them had anticipated, and when they got there, they were completely out of breath.  
  
"Where do we start looking?" Kari asked, resting against a cold granite block. After the long run it felt simply wonderful. "They could be anywhere!"  
  
"I don't know where to begin," Cody confessed, leaning his on his knees and gasping for breath. "Wish I did. Sorry."  
  
Ken was the only one unaffected by the sudden burst of exercise. In fact, he wasn't even slightly winded. He sat next to Kari and looked around at the rest of the team huffing and puffing just from a little sprint. "I think you could all use my training advice. You guys are in sorry condition."  
  
"Lets split up," Davis instructed, momentarily forgetting that he was no longer in charge.  
  
But Cody waved that suggestion away. "That's probably not a good idea. We need to stick together for as long as possible. Remember that there are demons still out here, and if we're looking for our Digimon, then you can bet they are too."  
  
"Yeah, whatever."  
  
Cody finally snapped. "WOULD YOU STOP TREATING ME LIKE I'M A LITTLE KID! I COULD BEAT YOU UP, if I wanted to. Which I don't"  
  
"Oh, yeah, right!"  
  
Yolei stepped up in between the two before something really serious could go wrong. "He really could, Davis. Remember, he knows not only kendo, but almost every form of Martial Arts on the face of the planet. He could beat your butt every day of the week!"  
  
"Take that back you little-"  
  
Kari grabbed his arm. "Please, don't do this, Davis. Stop picking fights with everybody!"  
  
"I'm-Kari, I'm not-" he looked into those big eyes, now almost overflowing with tears. He just couldn't be mad. Not if it hurt her. "I'm sorry. I'm just feeling a little useless, and I'm not used to it. I'm just frustrated. I'll try to stay in control from now on."  
  
"Thank you!" Kari gave him a huge hug. She knew just how to manipulate him to get him to do almost anything she wanted.  
  
Now that things were under control again, Davis stood up and looked around for the first time since arriving there. Nothing. Just rubble and ashes. "Uh, guys, there's nothing h-"  
  
Out of the corner of his eye was a faint shimmer of blue where it shouldn't have been. After squinting at it for what seemed like an incredible amount of time, it clicked. Davis couldn't believe it, either. "Wha-ha-huh?"  
  
The others stood up, suddenly on their gaurd. "What is it, Davis?" Ken asked, searching the ruins for any unatural disturbance.  
  
"It's-It's..." He took off in a quick jog. He came to the crumbling remains of a wall, vaulted over it and disappeared. There remained only an echo of his voice. "Come on, you guys. It's Veemon! They're alive! They're ALIVE!"  
  
"Well, I told you they would be," Cody mumbled as he scrambled over the decaying wall after him.  
  
Sitting in the middle of the ruins, Veemon seemed incredibly small. There he was, just staring at his hands, oblivious to any danger he might be putting himself in out in the open. Hopelessness lingered in his eyes. He didn't even look up as Davis approached. "You're too late," he whispered.  
  
"Too late? What do you mean? Too late for what?"  
  
"They're all..." Veemon choked back a sob. "They made it to the loopholes, but you took too long getting here. They're dead."  
  
"IMPOSSIBLE!" Cody got in the poor Digimon's face. "I should know. They have to be alive!"  
  
"They aren't. I'm not sure what went wrong, but... They're all gone... And I wish I could join them."  
  
"Hey, now, Veemon, old buddy, don't be like that! I can't see how anyone could wish to die. But you don't have to worry, I'm here now."  
  
"Yeah, well, where were you when I needed you the most, huh? Where were you, Davis?"  
  
Ouch.  
  
"I-I got here as quickly as I could."  
  
"You weren't quick enough."  
  
Those words went straight to his heart, and stayed there. He stepped back from his now former best friend.  
  
Cody wasn't convinced. "My sources told me that they are alive and well!"  
  
"Wait," Ken put up his hand. His voice was soft and quiet. "Did they really?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You told us they were hiding, but you never said that they were all right."  
  
"Gennai said-"  
  
"Are you sure he knew what he was talking about?"  
  
"Hey, Gennai's always been reliable!" TK probably had known him the longest.  
  
"Well, all I'm saying is we ought to be ready to go on this mission without them."  
  
TK growled. "No, I don't believe you!"  
  
"I saw it with my own eyes!" Veemon jumped from atop of the big block he'd been sitting on.  
  
"I don't beleive you! Patamon is still alive, I can feel it!" Before anyone could say anything else, he took off in a random direction. Tears flew from his eyes.  
  
Kari ran after him. "Oh, TK, come back! Where are you going?"  
  
"Patamon, where are you? Patamon!" His voice back echoed back, swallowed up by the wind.  
  
"TK don't do this!" Kari grabbed his hand. Somewhere in the distance, a sound filtered in from the howling of the wind.  
  
"Did you hear that?"  
  
"No," she squeezed his hand.  
  
"There it was again. Didn't you hear it?"  
  
There was a pause. "TK-"  
  
He yanked his hand away from her. "I'm not crazy, Kari."  
  
"I never said you-"  
  
"I hear Patamon." He turned away from her, into the wind. "Patamon! Patamon!"  
  
A faint, inaudible responce.  
  
"Patamon! Where are you?"  
  
"TK!"  
  
Kari finally heard it too. "I don't believe it! That really is Patamon."  
  
"I told you. Now come on, I think I know where it's coming from." TK led the way, now more determined than ever to find his long lost friend.  
  
Veemon turned up his nose away from that direction and crossed his arms. "I don't see why he doesn't believe me."  
  
"Frankly, I find it kinda hard to believe myself," Cody told him, still stuck on that idea that since stuff that he shouldn't have known kept popping in his head, it must be true.  
  
"Hey, I don't like you questioning Veemon," Davis said (in a calm, non-threatening way, mind you) "Why would he lie about something like this?"  
  
What sounded like a strange cackle came from his Digipartner, but it quickly became a hacking cough. "Are you all right, old buddy?"  
  
"Oh, I'll be *cough-cough* fine, my good *hack-gasp* friend."  
  
"Uh, okaay."  
  
From the direction Kari and TK had headed, a blast of green light cut through the dark eerie landscape. The forest grew insanely fast around the ruins, up the side of the mountain, and across the horizon. It continued until it had reached all parts of the Digital World.  
  
Then, suddenly, a rumble shook the ground like a herd of angry elephant mothers.  
  
"What in the good Digi-World is going on here?" Yolei shouted over the approaching stampede.  
  
"Yolei! At long last, I have found you!" Suddenly, a rather scrawny Hawkmon dropped onto her head, causing her to shreik uncontrolably. "Calm down there. It's only me."  
  
Her eyes grew as wide as her glasses. "HAWKMON, YOU'RE ALIVE!"  
  
He smiled down at her. "Of course I'm alive, my dear. I knew you'd come eventually."  
  
She yanked him from her helmet and squished him in a choking bear hug. "I don't know wether to kiss you or kill you. I thought you were dead!"  
  
"I'm not now, but I will be if you don't let go soon!" He flapped his wings and lost a few feathers.  
  
Just then the others popped over and around the boulders.  
  
Armadillomon tackled Cody. "I'm so glad to see you-I was startin' to think you'd never come-neat outfit-My how you've grown-oh, it looks like you lost your helmet-man, you need a haircut!"  
  
Cody's head spun slightly from that sudden impact. "I sure didn't see that one coming! Yes, I'm glad to see you too, Armadillomon. Now clam down and get off me. I can't breathe."  
  
"Ken!" Wormmon hugged the boy's boot. "I'm so glad to see you again!"  
  
Tears sprang into Ken's eyes as he hugged his partner. "Me too, old friend. Me too!"  
  
Kari came back with Gatomon in her arms followed by TK who, it seemed had undergone his transformation. Like Cody his armor was mostly gold, but the other color was viridian. The helmet he wore strangly resembled that weird hat he wore as a kid, execpt it had the Crest of Hope in the blue jewel. Patamon perched himself ontop of that helmet, and he wouldn't have been happier if he'd found a whole mountain made of ice cream.  
  
Last and most confusingly came...Veemon?  
  
"Davis!" Veemon started to run to his partner, but stopped short when he realized there was another him. "Who's that?"  
  
"Yeah," TK laughed. "I knew there was something weird going on when that one started being mean."  
  
Davis looked from one Veemon to the other. "They look the-"  
  
With a growl the first one leaped at Davis, who easily dodged. Before anyone could do anything, it grew and twisted into a monster that made Kabuterrimon look adorable. Too many legs, too many eyes. Way too big. It opened a mouth lined with thousands of needle teeth and spoke in an animal-like voice that sent chills down the kids' spines. "Master requests your presence, Davis."  
  
Now if a big, nasty, demon-monster formally adressed you and told you that it's master wanted an aduience with you, I don't think you'd be too thrilled, either. "No!" Davis backed up as quickly as possible. He smacked into one of the larger blocks and found there was no other place to run.  
  
"There's no escaping it," the thing told him, coming slowly closer. Enjoying the fear that radiated off him. "Your destiny awaits."  
  
"Guys? Help!" his voice squeaked, almost unrecognizable. Unfortunately, the demon had placed itself between Davis and the rest of the Digidestined. There was nothing they could do for him.  
  
With a laugh, it swallowed the shreiking Davis. Then disappeared in a puff of black smoke.  
  
It happened so fast. No one had even seen it coming.  
  
"He's gone!" Veemon ran to the spot where the demon had been just seconds before.  
  
Cody swallowed hard. "All right. I hate to do this but...let's split up. Two people stay here and search for that thing, while the rest of us continue on our next mission."  
  
"I'll volunteer to stay here." Kari jumped up and waved her hand.  
  
TK couldn't believe she was so eagar to help Davis. And there was no way he was going to leave the two of them alone. "I'll stay too."  
  
"Alright. The rest of us move out," Cody instructed, pointing the way to another path. He was starting to get used to the leadership position.  
  
"Us too?" The Digimon asked.  
  
"You too!" Cody marched away. Everyone else looked at each other and shrugged.  
  
* * * *  
  
A dungeon. The only light came from a lone torch at the end of the room that threw an eerie pale light over the uneven stone floor and an orange glow on the walls. And silence. A ringing silence. The only sounds to be heard came from Davis. His heavy breathing sent little icy clouds into the freezing air and his heart pounded like a drum in his ears. There was no way of knowing how long he'd been there, by himself, chained to the wall. The last thing he remembered happening was that big thing had eaten him. Not a pleasent experience, mind you. It had unimaginably bad breath.  
  
"Hello, Davis," a silky voice called from in the shadows. The very sound of it made him want to hide somewhere. "Don't be afraid, My Pet."  
  
My Pet? "Wh-who are you?"  
  
A pair of red eyes opened. "I have many names."  
  
Out of the darkness stepped a woman who looked (only to Davis, mind you) almost exactly like Kari, only with purple hair and black, depthless eyes. She wore a tight fitting velvet red dress that flowed all the way to the floor. A golden chain hung around her waist. She put her hands on her hips. "I've been waiting for you."  
  
"Me?" Davis squeaked.  
  
She got extremely close to him and ran a long, cold finger slowly over his lips. He sharply inhaled the stale dungeon air and held it in. No one so beautiful had ever come so close before. She moved her hand gently down his neck and across his chest. He squirmed at her dominating touch, which was exactly the reaction she wanted. She spoke softly -almost whispering- fully enjoying the fear she could feel growing inside of him. "Yes you, silly."  
  
He tried to remove himself from under her gaze, but there was no excaping. He was chained to the wall, after all. "What do you want from me?"  
  
Suddenly, she pushed away. "It's always about you, isn't it, Davis?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
She put on a mock-hurt face. "What about my needs?" He said nothing in return, only struggled against his bonds. She sighed and moved in closer. "Look, I'll cut to the chase. I want you to give me your body."  
  
His eyes went wide as he finally figured out what was going on. "You're one of those demon-things!"  
  
"'One of those demon-things'? Honey, I am the queen demon-thing, thank you very much. One of my names you might know is Hecate, the Greek godess of Black Magic. Never heard of it? Okay. My favorite name is Keesma, Emperess of Evil. It has a very pleasant ring to it, don't you think, My Pet?"  
  
"There's no way I'm letting you control me!"  
  
"Oh, I won't really control you. Your moral mortal soul will just be devoured and I'll take it's place. You won't even notice I'm there. Besides, there are several ways I can get you to give yourself to me, Davis. Very few of which you will enjoy, so why don't you just save both of us a lot of time and pain by just-"  
  
"No!"  
  
This wasn't going to be a piece of cake after all. He wasn't as weak as she had made him out to be. That stupid Crest of Courage was in the way. She picked through the almost endless methods of torture she could use on him, looking for the most effective one. "Hmm...What do you fear the most?"  
  
Davis hadn't really thought about that before. "I-I'm not telling you."  
  
She took his head in her hands and stared deep into his eyes. He tried to break free of her grasp, but she had an unusal strength. "Come on now. You can't lie to me. What, more than anything else, makes you want to die to get away from it. And don't say me, because that's a given."  
  
There was a pause. Her empty black eyes to reached around inside of him, and there was absoultely no way he could resist. Finally, a small, pathetic voice answered. "Rejection."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
Davis tried to resist saying anything, but the words came straight from the depths of his soul. "I don't want to be alone."  
  
Bingo. "But you are alone, aren't you?"  
  
"Yes, completely alone." It was almost like someone else was talking.  
  
This was precisely what she'd been looking for. "Let me in, and you'll never be alone again."  
  
Tempting. Davis snapped out of it. "No! You're evil!"  
  
She snorted. "And there's a problem?"  
  
Nothing. Davis looked away.  
  
She scratched her head in thought, then slowly, an evil smile creeped across her face. She laughed, "You've never had the attention of a female before, have you?"  
  
The way she phrased that didn't seem quite right.  
  
The demon queen laughed even more in his silence. Then, without warning, she drew him into a full kiss. It was a cold, agressive kiss, lacking the one thing needed to make it special: Feeling. You know, love. Still, it was wonderful. Davis found himself kissing back, hungerly. A wonderful, tingling feeling washed over him. Her kiss was a sweet nectar, and he'd never before tasted the likes of it. More, more. He needed more. Finally, he had found someone to give him the attention he ached for.  
  
Just as he was getting into it, she purposefully broke away. "Did you like that?"  
  
More. He needed it. He only whimpered slightly.  
  
"Do you want me?"  
  
A small voice in the back of his mind was asking 'What do you think you're doing? That is the embodiment of evil! Don't talk to her. She doesn't care about you. She's using you!'  
  
He nodded, trying not to listen to it, but found he could not. "It's-This isn't right. You don't lo-"  
  
"Did I ever mention the word love? I asked you if you wanted me."  
  
He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to sort out his conflicting emotions. "I want...someone...who will care about me. For me. N-No matter what. You can't give that to me."  
  
"Oh, can't I?" She ran the back of her cold hand over gently over his neck, and he could feel himself blush. She spoke in a soft voice, "Forget that silly notion of love. I know what you really want."  
  
"What's that?" he whispered, almost afraid to know.  
  
She brushed her lips slightly against his and played with the hair at the base of his neck. "Whether you realize it or not, you want a girl who will control you. Who will use you. PUNISH you. For everything. You may think you want to be loved, but you know no one will ever really care that much about you. Besides, a loving relationship would be too easy. You'd get bored."  
  
Those harsh words actually brought hot tears to his eyes. "No, I don't believe you." But he did; deep down inside he knew she was only mirroring the truth. It was wrong, but she was right. Why was it like this? Why didn't anyone want to be with him?  
  
She wrapped her arms tightly around him and nuzzled him softly, listening with some amusement to his soft, trembling breaths. Her voice took on a deadlier tone. "Give yourself to me, and I'll give you everything you need. I can make that horrible lonely feeling go away."  
  
'Don't listen to her!'  
"No, thank you. I think I can live without your help."  
  
She sighed. "What am I going to do with you? My patientice is wearing thin. There are many better things I could be doing at this moment."  
  
"Please, can't you just let me go?"  
  
"And let you go crawl back to your little Digi-friends for help? I don't think so." Suddenly, her eyes glowed blood red. She reached her clawed hand into his gut and twisted, sending a wave of hot pain searing through him. "What no screams?"  
  
Davis barely held back the urge to just start screaming and never stop. He clenched his teeth together and managed to choke out, "I won't give you that satisfaction, beast."  
  
She twisted a little more, and delighted to see him squirm in agony. "You should just give up. Do you think they care that you're gone? They're not even looking for you."  
  
"LAIR!" it was true they didn't love him, but they wouldn't just give up on him. They WOULDN'T!  
  
Finally, she let go of him, and he slumped down, almost completely drained of energy. Laughing, the demon queen snapped his goggles. "You've only begun to feel my powers, Boy."  
  
His insides were throbing. It was painful to even breathe.  
  
Even though he knew it was a mistake, Davis managed to a deep breath and dare to ask a question of his captor. "If you're so powerful, then why do you need...me?"  
  
"Ya know, that's a really good question, Davis." She pondered that for a moment. "Well, I guess I really don't mind telling you. You are a stepping stone in my master plan. You're the weak link in the Digidestined chain. You're easy to get at, and you do have a considerable amount of untapped power hidden deep within your heart. If I could get to it, there would be just enough there to last me until I take the big one down."  
  
In his present condition, Davis couldn't understand half of what she was saying. The room, which wouldn't quit moving, kept getting fuzzy.  
  
She threw him against the wall with the force of a truck. "Are you payin' any attention to me? You're not slipping on me, now are you, My Pet?"  
  
He focused his eyes with more than a little effort. His mind was beginning to cloud over. "I think you punctured somethin'."  
  
"Oh, poor baby," she whispered in his ear. "Now see some of what else I can do."  
  
* * * *   
  
*Author's note: I wrote this the night before I saw the episode '20,000 Digi-leagues Under the Sea' and discovered this had been an awful lot like Cody's nightmare as a kid. Strange, huh? Oh, well...Maybe this is why Davis kept bagging his head against the railing in that episode.*  
  
In the blink of an eye, he plunged into the black ocean. The ocean. Not a hallucination, but really real. Tall waves broke over Davis's head, forcing cold salty water down his throat, trying to drown him. His first, natural reaction was to kick to the surface, but every time he did, another wave would come crashing down on him, shoving him under again before he could fill his lungs with enough sweet air. It didn't help that it was so dark he couldn't see a foot in front of him. Already cloudy, his mind couldn't handle the stress. Panic overwhelmed him, and with what little air he found he cried for help. Although it was a futile action, he had nightmares as a kid of drownding in the middle of the ocean, all alone. It couldn't end like that.  
  
Suddenly, about twenty feet in front of him, the turbulant waters calmed until the surface was as smooth as glass and a gental fog rolled arcoss it. The water around Davis, however, remained violent. What strength he had left back in the dungeon had been sucked out of him by his failing struggle in the near freezing sea. Plus, the wind was blowing him in the opposite direction. There was no way he could reach safety, now. Just as he began to give up hope, he saw a light in the darkness. It came from a little lantern hung on a row boat. All his friends were in that boat, and it was being piloted by TK  
  
"Guys, help. Please!" Davis called with the last of his strength.  
  
"Did you hear something?" Ken looked around the perfectly calm waters, but not past them into the stormy darkness where Davis failed hopelessly. It was almost as if he couldn't see him.  
  
TK, however, seemed to be staring straight at him. With a smile he swung the boat around so the others had there backs to him. "Oh, its just your imagination. Let's keep going. Remember, we've got a mission to accomplish. And the sooner we finish, the sooner we get home."  
  
"What about Davis?" Kari asked him.  
  
TK snorted. "Davis is a traitor. Just forget about him."  
  
"You're right, TK," Kari scooted next to him and gave him a big hug. "You're always right."  
  
With that, the rowboat and everyone on it disappeared into the mist. And Davis slipped under for good.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"How'd you like that?"  
  
His mind snapped back to reality. Back to the silent, still dungeon. Precious air filled his lungs once again, and he coughed just for the sheer ability to do so.  
  
"Pleasant, wasn't it?" Keesma wrapped her arms around him and licked his ear. "I could do that all day, but unfortunately, you cannot. Give up now, before I'm forced to do something really nasty."  
  
He tried to shake her off, but found could barely move. His muscles still had fatigue from flailing around in the freezing ocean, and his insides were still bleeding. He coughed again and spoke in a raw voice. "You'll never get to me."  
  
There was a pause. "Oh, really. Is that so?"  
  
He refused to give her anything else.  
  
She sighed. "Fine. I can control every muscle in your body. In theory, I could just take over you, but it just wouldn't be the same."  
  
He looked away. "If you're looking to impress me, than you're holding your breath."  
  
"You know what," she said, ignoring him. She ran her finger over his chest. "Your heart is the strongest muscle in your body."  
  
Her finger stopped directly over his heart, and it stopped. Just stopped beating, like it was natural or something. The blood slowed to a cold stop in his veins, a rather eerie, disturbing feeling. "You now have only a few minutes to live, so if you have anything important to say, you should say it now."  
  
'Something's wrong. Air! You're drownding. Air! AIR!' His brain screamed because of the sudden lack of oxygen. Out of instinct Davis began gulping more and more air, but it was only getting worse. A cold tingling feeling washed over him, and his vision began to go red.   
  
She ran her fingers through his hair and forced him to look into her empty black eyes. His eyes rolled momentarily back and she laughed, "Just like a fish out of water. Breath all you want, it will never get to your brain."  
  
"Please, help me," he gasped. He was panting now, panic and instinct overwhelming him. "I don't want to die like this."  
  
She stepped back into the shadows. Only her eyes glowing red could be seen. "Nope. You've got to ask nicely."  
  
Something inside of Davis told him to just let go. 'Never give in. It would be better to die, than to let that thing get ahold of you.' But his instincts were screaming a lot louder than that. He cried, "Help me, please!...I-I'll do...ANYTHING!"  
  
Victory! An evil smile spread across her face. "Anything?"  
  
"...Yes. Anything."  
  
"Then let me into your soul, and I shall restore you."  
  
'No, no no NO! Don't! Think of your friends. It will be better for them if you die now. Have courage!' But, no. "Alright, I...give up."  
  
Then the darkness closed in.  
  
And he embraced it.  
  
  
What will happen now that Davis has given in to the Demon Queen?  
And what about the others?  
  
Find out in Episode 3:  
"When Courage is lost" 


	3. When Courage Is Lost

Digimon: A Bigger Threat  
Episode 3  
"When Courage Is Lost"  
  
By: Shmeilia Rockie  
  
  
Author's note: I do not own Digimon, or any of the characters. Keesma, Garz, and Zarg are mine, though, so please don't use them. Oh! And this is where y'all get to know Garzie and Zargie! *Squeezes them until all six of their eyes bug out* ...Oh, sorry... And just so everyone knows, Davis is my favorite character. I abuse him, even though I love him. Why? *shrugs* This was a dream! I don't know! Maybe it's like that old saying 'You always hurt the ones you love'. Anyway, enjoy. I'm sorry I'm too lazy to re-write these first couple of episodes. I think they're getting better, but I'm too close to the action to tell.  
  
  
  
Davis collapsed, near the verge of death. Keesma, the Demon Queen had stopped his heart in a last attempt to get him to surrender his soul to her. And it had worked. She fluffed his hair gently, taking real notice of the strong boy for the first time. He wasn't really that bad. It was that nasty soul of his that had gotten in the way. But now she was in control. That was her body now, and she had to admit, she'd picked a good one. She lifted his head and put her finger to his lips. "Good boy, Davis. Now, you shall have your reward."  
  
* * * *  
  
"I'm worried, TK" Kari clung to his side.  
  
The two of them along with Gatomon, Patamon, and Veemon had searched for Davis for hours, but with no luck in finding any sign of him. Things were looking bad.  
  
Veemon collapsed on a nearby rock. "It's too late. He's gone, I can feel it."  
  
Patamon flew over and rested beside him. "Don't give up yet, Veemon. There's always hope."  
  
Veemon glared at him. "It ATE him. I think it's safe to say that he's probably long gone by now."   
  
"I don't like you saying those kinds of things," Gatomon said, crossing her arms. "If that happened to Kari, you know I wouldn't give up until I knew for certain that she was okay."  
  
"Poor Davis, he seemed so frightened," TK sighed.  
  
"You would be too. Did you see that thing? Nasty!"  
  
"I'm just glad you're okay, Kari."  
  
"That's sweet, but you shouldn't say such things." Kari took a step back from him. "You make it sound like Davis doesn't matter. He may not be the nicest person in the world, but he desirves someone caring about him."  
  
That didn't sound quite right. "You like him don't you?"  
  
Kari was definately caught off guard by that question. "What? No! I-I mean...He is my friend, but you know that you're the only guy for me."  
  
There was a silence, in which they stared at each other, lost in their own thoughts. "Do you mean that, Kari?"  
  
"Of course I do," she whispered. "You should know that by now."  
  
Kari let TK come back into her bubble. He put his hands on her shoulders. "I do know that, Kari. Sorry. It's just...I don't know. Davis and I were never the best of friends."  
  
She sighed and put her head to his chest. "I wish Davis wouldn't pick so many fights with you. Over me. I feel responsible for all of them."  
  
"You're not."  
  
She whipped her eyes that suddenly were overflowing with tears. "Thanks, TK, But...Oh, why am I crying?"  
  
TK brought her closer to him. "I know you're worried about Davis. He is your friend, after all...Mine too...You should be worried about him."  
  
"I, uh, hate to interrupt this wonderful little moment," Gatomon said, staring unblinkingly up at them. "But I think we should split up and give one final search outside of the area."  
  
Kari sniffed. "Alright, but you know what Cody said about splitting up."  
  
"It's okay. I'll go with you to protect you, and Patamon will go with TK-"  
  
"Hey," Veemon interrupted rather loudly. "What about me? Who will I go with, huh? Davis is g-GONE!" He began to sob histerically. Patamon patted him on the back, but didn't say anything.  
  
TK sighed. "You can come with us, Veemon."  
  
Kari traced the pattern of one of the Megadigimon on TK's new golden armor. "I don't want to leave you. I have a very bad feeling about all of this."  
  
TK had to be strong for her. "It'll be okay, Kari. Just have hope. We'll find Davis."  
  
"We're gonna find him DEAD!" Veemon wailed.  
  
They ignored him. "It will be alright. You'll see."  
  
"Okay. But I hate leaving you."  
  
"Sheesh, Kari. You act like we will never see each other again." TK laughed, but it was only an attempt to lighten her mood. It worried him as well, and there was a distinct feeling of evil lurking about in the surrounding mist. What if he never saw her again? He couldn't bare to even think about it. Suddenly, he leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Take care, okay?"  
  
"You too," she whispered. Then they parted.  
  
* * * *  
  
Soft, deliciously warm nothingness. Like falling alseep by a fire on a cold night, wrapped in a big quilt, and listening to the wind blow outside the door. Davis had never been happier just being there. Not thinking, not feeling, or anything. He existed-had always existed-there in the quiet darkness. Nurtured by something he could not see, but loved and needed more than anything else...For there was nothing else. But suddenly, something began to bring him out of this happy, peaceful existence. And it angered him.  
  
"Master! Master! Oh, Master, you must wake!" A high, scratchy voice called from beyond the warm darkness.  
  
Davis waved his hand dismissively and rolled over in his comfortable bed, desperately trying to hold on to the wonderful dream. "Go away! I'm not goin' to school today."  
  
Something slimey tugged on his arm, but he jerked it away. "Master, please...DAVIS!"  
  
"What?" he sat up in bed. It wasn't his bed, as he'd been expecting. His heart beat strongly in his chest and his insides were in perfect working order. Everything seemed all right. Keesma had kept her promise. No more pain, no more empty lonely feeling-for the first time in a while-and that's all he could really remember. Everything since arriving in the Digital World felt blurry in his memmory, almost like a dream. But looking around the dark bedroom chambers, he could tell it hadn't been a dream after all.  
  
Suddenly, his gaze snapped to the thing that had been adressing him. It was nasty bug-like creature with way too many eyes and legs, that should have frightened him. But at the moment, it just looked stupid. And rather familliar, for that matter. Davis never forgot a face, especially one as ugly as that. "What the heck are YOU?"  
  
"Garz, Master," he answered. Davis just blinked at him. "I'm your loyal servant. Along with my brother Zarg. We're your minions, sire."  
  
Davis snorted, trying to contain the urge to start giggling. "I have...Minions?"  
  
He grinned. His mouth overflowed with needle-like, green teeth. "Oh, yes. Many minions. All eagar to serve."  
  
"But wait a second. I don't get it. Why do they want to serve me? I'm just a kid."  
  
Garz threw his clawed hands into the air. "'Just a kid'? Oh, no, Master Davis. You are much, much more!"  
  
"And why's that?"  
  
"You have great Queen Keesma living inside you. Her life-force is flowing through your veins! She chose you to be the vessel in which she works her master plan. You MUST feel honored."  
  
The thought of her inside of him was disturbing. He wrinkled his nose. "I don't feel any different."  
  
Garz moved closer to him. "Can't you feel the power surging through you?"  
  
"...No."  
  
Disappointed, he stepped back a bit. Suddenly, out of nowhere, there was another one beside him. This one looked more like a rookie Digimon than a demon. (A lot more cute, if you could say that. Far less legs.) "Ah, brother Zarg, you're back."  
  
"What is going on?"  
  
Garz pointed up at Davis. "Master dosen't feel like a king."  
  
"No?" Zarg asked.  
  
Garz shook his head. The two slowly turned to stare at urgingly him.   
  
"Can I get you something, Master?" Zarg asked quietly.  
  
Davis hopped out of bed. "Yeah, I'm hungry. What's there to eat?"  
  
They roared with laughter. "That was Master's problem!"  
"Keesma must be weak!"  
"Master must feed! Master must feed!"  
  
Davis had no idea what was going on. "Was it something I said?"  
  
Zarg clapped his hands and in came another, disgusting demon. This one looked a lot stupider. "Feed, Master!"  
  
"Where's the food?"  
  
Another round of laughter errupted from them. Garz said through his chuckles, "No food...Feed from...dark demon energy...Make Keesma strong again!"  
  
Davis's eyes went wide. Zarg told him, "Touch the demon and you will absorb it's energy. That is what you are hungry for. That is all you need."  
  
It was true, Davis realized. Something stirred inside, washing him with a deep, intense hunger. Following that, his body also begun to ache for it. He bit down on his tounge and hesitantly put his hand on the ugly, slimey thing's head. It broke down into a dark mist and was sucked into his fingertips. The starving feeling calmed and a deep satisfaction filled him. It was power! "Wow! That feels GOOD!"  
  
"See!" His two minions grinned their ugly grins.  
  
"MORE!" Davis barked.  
  
They waved their hands and spoke in unison. "No, Master. Too much dark energy is bad for your body. It's like poison if you get to much at once!"  
  
"Hmph!" He crossed his arms and pouted like a little kid.  
  
Zarg said, "How about we show you your castle, Master Davis?"  
  
His face lightened. "Yeah, okay!"  
  
"First, we must get you clean and dressed. You cannot be our king looking like THAT!"  
  
Davis looked down at his dirty, sweaty cream colored shirt and made a face. He ran his bare hands through his now rather greasy aburn hair. (He'd grown it out a bit and now looked even more like Tai.) "Yeah, I feel nasty."  
  
So, the two demons rushed him off into an elborate bathroom to get cleaned. They handed him a few towels and an orange fuzzy bathrobe and left him to his privacy. The room must have been as big as his whole apartment back home. It was decorated in platinum and grey marble. Hundreds of candles lit the area around a small pool-sized bathtub (Yeah, I know that sounds funny), but other than that, it was fairly dark. In looking around, Davis realized that there was only one frosty mirror that barely reflected anything. He approached it slowly, and the reflection of the boy in it seemed strangly unfamilliar. It was those eyes. They seemed so strange, so... sad... He touched the mirror gently with one finger, almost afraid it would bite him. He ran his hand slowly over the face in the glass, then brought it to his own face. Strangly, the reflection did not mirror his moves, but instead just stared at him with those screaming eyes. The boy pressed his hands to the glass and mouthed something, but Davis couldn't understand it. Disturbed, he turned away and decided not to think about it. He sould have, for the boy would never return to him again. He sadly closed his eyes in defeat and disappeared.  
  
Davis leaned over the edge of the empty bathtub. Suddenly, it magically filled with an opaque liquid that looked like milk but smelled like mint. Fluffy bubbles spread across the surface like an out of control fungus. He reached into it and swirled his hand around. Perfect. Not too hot, but not too cold. "I think I'm gonna like this king stuff!"  
  
* * * *  
  
When Davis had gone into the room and shut the doors, Zarg turned to his brother. "Everything's working smoothly!"  
  
"Yes, my dear brother. Let the cleansing process begin!"  
  
They joined hands and did a little dance. "Soon, Keesma will be strong enough to overpower this foolish boy and rule again!"  
  
They cackled quietly.  
  
* * * *  
  
"So, Cody," Ken spoke up for the first time in hours. They were so used to the silence that the sound of Ken's voice startled even him. "Where are we going now?"  
  
Cody had been waiting for that question. Now he took a deep breath. "Well...This takes a little explaining."  
  
"We're not goin' anywhere fast," Yolei told him. "Go ahead."  
  
He cleared his throat. "A few years ago-"  
  
"Oh, goodie, we get to hear a story! How wonderfully exciting!" Hawkmon exclaimed from atop Yolei's helmet, a bit of a sarcasticasm in his voice.  
  
"Shut up and let Cody talk, all right?" Yolei glared up at him and shook her fist as an unspoken threat.  
  
"Anyways," Cody began again. "A few years ago-in Digi-time, of course-a portal opened up from who knows where, and out came thousands of demons. The leader, Queen Keesma, put off so much dark energy that it basically blew up the Digital World-kinda like the world's worst nuclear explosion-and killed everything."  
  
"Except us," Armadillomon added.  
  
"How'd you know that what was going to happen ahead of time?" Ken asked.  
  
There was a slight pause, as if the Digimon didn't want to remember. Wormmon spoke up. Quietly. "We all had the same dream that warned us about it. There was a guy-I don't remember what he looked like, but he seemed nice-and he told me where to go. He promised us you'd come back, even though it would take years because of the time change. And the next day, it happened, just like what he said."  
  
Everyone lapsed into silence to think about that. "Yeah, okay. That's strange," Yolei said. "I've heard about that kind of stuff happening and never believed it before."  
  
Cody picked up where he had left off. "So after...after everything blew up...Keesma built herself a castle at the edge of the Digital World, and declaired herself the rightful ruler. But...on the opposite edge of the world appeared another castle-A great golden, jeweled castle, with no one in it- just appeared, as if to challange Keesma. Of course, this infuriated her, and she vowed to take it from..." He trailed off, and stared blankly into the distance. His thoughts, it seemed, had become too quick for words.  
  
"From?" everyone asked in unison, leaning in.  
  
"I'm not quiet sure," Cody admitted, snapping out of his trance. "I think from the people responsible for the stuff in my head. They left that part out. Anyway, to keep her from getting control of it, the American Digidestined were summoned before she could do anything. With the same power that transformed us into the *coughs* MegaDigidestined-as I am now thinking of us-they became the Freedom Spirits, the castle's powerful gardians."  
  
"Okaaay, so we need to go there?" Ken asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"What for? Are we going to ask for their help?"  
  
"No...I mean yes...Ugh, no, they can't leave the castle, but yes, there are a few things we need to get from them."  
  
"What kind of 'things'?" Yolei demanded, getting a little frustrated with all the cryptic stories.  
  
Cody shrugged. "Once again, dunno."  
  
Yolei threw her hands up in the air and roared.  
  
  
* * * *  
  
Clean and much more refreshed, Davis felt like a new man.  
  
Of course, all he now had to where was that stupid orange bathrobe. Those dumb minions did away with his Digidestined outfit and didn't even provide him with shoes, or slippers, or anything! And that stone floor was unimaginably cold.  
  
He poked his head out of the bathroom to see Garz and Zarg just standing there with big grins on their ugly faces and their hands behind their backs. "What are you two doin'?"  
  
They laughed nervosly. "Nothin', boss!" Zarg answered.  
  
Garz tugged on Davis's arm, pulling him out of the room. "Come on, Master, we've got SOOO much to show you!"  
  
They pushed and shoved Davis along from room to room, talking rapidly and not really giving him a chance to take it all in. They were like two kids taking their Dad through an amusement park. "Over there is where your loyal minions 'sleep' although that's not quite what they do..." "I think you've already seen the dungeons..." and "Oh, lookie out the window, Master! Quite a lovely view of the end of the DigiWorld! Don't you think?"  
  
Finally, they stopped in a grand, but poorly lit throne room. All the light came from a spinning white sphere in the very center of the room. And immeditately Davis felt drawn to it. He carefully approached it. "What's that?"   
  
There was a reluctant pause. "Are you sure you want to know?"  
  
"Well, of course I want to know. This thing, it's..." He reached toward it.  
  
"No!" the two brothers yelled together. "Don't touch it, Master. It no like you!"  
  
"What?" They were starting to get annoying. All he wanted to do was look at it a little closer. What was the harm in that?  
  
Zarg looked distressed. He shook his head and muttered something in a strange language, then slowly said to Davis, "M-Master, it's not yours."  
  
Oh, that ticked him off. "What do you mean it's not mine? I own everything in this castle, don't I? Well? DON'T I?"  
  
They cowered in fear. Zarg really regretted even opening his mouth. He'd known it was a mistake when he'd done it. "It belongs to Great Queen Keesma!"  
  
Davis lowered his voice to a deadly whisper. "As far as you're conserned, I am Keesma now, so therefore this...THING...belongs to me. Along with everything else in the Digital World. And if you ever say anything like that again, I'll eat you for dinner. Understand?"  
  
Zarg swallowed hard and nodded. He made a funny whimpering noise that sounded like a sick puppy. It felt good to have that kind of power over something. Now he understood why Ken had enjoyed being the Digimon Emporer so much.  
  
Just for the heck of it, he loudly repeated, "Understand!"  
  
"Yes, sir," Zarg squeaked.  
  
Davis smiled to himself. "Now that's better. So what is this thing? Why doesn't it 'like me'?"  
  
They looked at each other and whispered in that hissy language. Finally, Zarg cleared his throat. "It's Keesma's power-orb-thing. It's what she used to get us here. Only she can use it. If we tried, we'd blow up. It used to belong to..." he cringed. "The POWERS. The ones who can't be named. Keesma stole it."  
  
Garz quickly added, "Master, in time, you will become strong enough to use it, but until then... If you don't want to blow up, I think you ought to stay away from it."  
  
"So, uh..." Zarg despirtely searched for something else to talk about. "Now that you've seen the castle, what d'you think?!"  
  
Davis looked around and shrugged. "Nah, no big deal."  
  
Zarg's mouth dropped open, and Garz snickered.  
  
Davis turned back to the Orb and stared at it like a little kid drools over candy before dinner. "This is all that interests me. Nothing else is that important."  
  
A smile spread across Zarg's face. "But...What about the Digidestined?"  
  
Oh, yeah. THEM. "What about them?"  
  
"What are you gonna do about 'em?"  
  
He sighed. "Do I have to do something about them? They're not hurtin' anything."  
  
Garz caught on. "Do you understand the power of the Digidestined, Master?"  
  
Davis blinked. Power? "Huh?"  
  
"The power of even the weakest Digidestined Crest is stronger than the dark energy of a hundered demons."  
  
Davis's eyes went wide and an evil light came into them. (You know, kinda like what happened to Ken in 'The Genesis of Evil') "Really?"  
  
"Oh, yes. And the Crests of Hope and Light? Why if you had even one of them...you could, well...rule everything! Not even the Powers could stop you from doing whatever you want!"  
  
"Hmm," Davis walked over to his throne on the opposite side of the room. He'd already forgotten about the Orb. Drapped across the seat was an orange coat with black dimonds and a fuzzy collar, like the one on his flamey jacket. He took note of it, before tossing it aside to Garz. "Go get TK"  
  
"Who, Master?" Garz asked.  
  
Davis rolled his eyes. "Hope, you idiot. Go bring me the bearer of the Crest of Hope!"  
  
"But what about Light? She's the one that has-"  
  
"Don't touch her!" Davis snapped. "When I am...a bit more presentable, I will send for her. And then you won't harm or even frighten her. You got it?"  
  
"Do you want me to treat Hope that way too?"  
  
He waved his hand. "I don't care what you do with 'Hope.' Just don't kill him, all right?"  
  
Garz and Zarg saluted, and in smiling, Zarg's slimey tounge rolled out of his mouth. Davis smacked his forehead. He had idiots for minions.  
  
Garz clapped his hands giddily and ran off. "Can I get you something, Master?" Zarg asked.  
  
"I'm hungry again. Bring me more dark energy."  
  
Zarg's eyes lit up. All three of them. "Okee, Master. For now, you have a demon for a little snack. And how about after that, I bring you the energy from a Lower Crest?"  
  
"Mmm, sounds tastey. What's a 'Lower' Crest? I didn't know there was a difference."  
  
"The Lower Crests: Friendship, Knowledge, Reliability, and Sincerity. They don't have as much power as the Upper Crests: Light, Hope, Love, Kindness and Courage. You are operating on the Crest of Courage, which is an Upper Crest. It's stronger than the Crest of Friendship-a Lower Crest- which you also have, but aren't currently using."  
  
In one ear and out the other. "Okaaay..."  
  
"Anyways, I could probably...maybe get you, oh, say, the Crest of Knowledge?"  
  
"Sure. Whatever. But you better not screw it up."  
  
Zarg flailed his arms about. "Oh, no, no, no, Master! Of course not!"  
  
There was a pause in which Zarg just stood there having a brain lapse, or somethin'. (A translation error? I love those!) "Well?" Davis snapped. "Get!"  
  
Zarg said no more, but disappeared in a puff of smoke.  
  
Davis sighed. "Finally! I thought they'd never leave. Now I can have some peace."  
  
"Would you like me to leave as well, My Pet?" It was her! Dressed in gold, and her purple hair done up in a bun, she had to be the most beautiful thing Davis had ever seen. Fifty times more wonderful than Kari could have ever been.  
  
"Keesma!" Davis scrambled to her lovely feet and kissed them repeatedly. To be in her presence made him complete again. "No, no, my lady. Please, don't leave. I have long awaited your return."  
  
She lifted his chin so he stared into her fathomless eyes instead of her toes. He looked away, feeling unworthy of her. "Did you miss me?"  
  
"Of, course. I need you, Keesma."  
  
This made her chuckle. "You do, don't you, My Pet? Now, get up and kiss me for real." She grabbed his collar and pulled him into a drawn out, warm kiss. It could have lasted forever, but she made sure it didn't. She broke away and whispered, "Now, how are you enjoying my life?"  
  
Boy, that was a no-brainer. "I love it."  
  
"Good. I'm proud of you. How are Zarg and Garz treating you?"  
  
"Ah, they're enthusiastic. I'll give 'em that. But they're so annoying!"  
  
"I see. Yeah. So tell me, what are you planning to do with the power I have so graciously given you?"  
  
Davis shrugged.  
  
Keesma turned around to leave the room and rolled her eyes. "Don't you have any ambition?" She left, and Davis quickly followed. "You need to get RID of the Digidestined!"  
  
"But why? They're not hurtin' anyone."  
  
"Not yet..." Keesma said. "But they will. Believe me, Davis. They're plotting against you."  
  
"E-even Kari?"  
  
She stopped so suddenly that Davis almost ran into her. She spun around and stuck a long finger in his face. Her eyes burned red with anger. "Especially Kari. I want you to bring her and that boy TK to me. Do you understand?"  
  
"Yes!" Davis squeaked. "I sent Garz to get TK. He should be back very soon!"  
  
Keesma smiled a wicked smile. "Good boy."  
  
  
  
Now that Keesma and Davis are working against the Digidestined, what will become of them?  
Find out in Episode 4: "The No Hope Campaign"  
  
Author's note: Don't you just love these end narrations? Ya know I do! 


	4. The No Hope Campaign

Digimon: A Bigger Threat  
Episode 4  
"The No Hope Campaign"  
  
By: Shmeilia Rockie  
  
  
Author's note: I don't own Digimon, but I do own Garz, Zarg, and Keesma! You know, as I was re-reading this, I realized there are very few Cody/Yolei pairings out on there. Personally, it came as a great shock when I discovered Yolei and Ken had gotten married. I thought the fact that she'd marry Cody was, like, a given or something, but I guess I'm one of the only one's. I know he's four years younger than her, but still...When they're fourty it won't really matter! Besides, for the sake of my story, Ken isn't supposed to be truely in love with anyone. I seemed to get a lot of the end wrong. In fact, the only thing I got right was that TK became a writer. Oh well, this is how I wanted it to go. Hope y'all enjoy, sorry for subjecting you to my crazy dream. But I must do it! Garz and Zarg command me from the inside of my brain! I swear, they've taken over!  
  
  
  
"I'm EXHASTED!" Yolei wailed.  
  
Cody snorted. "Oh, come on, Yolei! We should be there in an hour. If you can wait until then-"  
  
She declaired, "I can't walk another step!"  
  
"Oh, dear," Hawkmon sighed. "Yolei, just-"  
  
She flopped to the ground, crossed her arms, and pouted. This, of course, sent Hawkmon spiraling off into the air with a squawk, "Oh, be reasonable!"  
  
"I haven't been this tired in a very long time, and I really don't like it!"  
  
Cody forced a weary smile. He just had to be patient with her. He grimaced and kicked her boot in the friendliest way possible, considering he had had it with her whining. "Ah, come on, Yolei! It's good for you!"  
  
"Foo!" She turned away, pouting.  
  
"You know, Cody," Ken said gently. "I think it's best that we rest for a while. I'm starting to get tired myself." That was a lie, of course, but he didn't want Yolei look bad.  
  
"No!" Cody barked rather forcefully. "We'll rest once we get to the castle, not before!" Then he stormed off. Armadillomon ran after him, angerly scolding him for being so mean.  
  
Tears sprang into Yolei's eyes. Cody had never yelled at her before. At least not like this. They USED to be best friends. They USED to tell each other everything. What had happened to them? Had they really grown so far appart, that he could be so harsh towards her?  
  
"Are you all right, Yolei?" Ken asked, offering his hand to help her up.  
  
She quickly brushed the tears from her eyes. "No, Cody yelled at me."  
  
"No, actually, I think he was yelling at me." Ken smiled slightly and laughed. It helped calm Yolei down, but only slightly. She grabbed his hand and he pulled her to her feet. He patted her on the back. "You all right?"  
  
Deep breath, now. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Thanks."  
  
"Um, guys..." It was Armadillomon, and he sounded concerned. "Cody's caught on somethin'"  
  
"Thanks for the vote of confedince, Armadillomon. I think I can get my foot...oh, I think you guys ought to get over here. Something is...not right."  
  
The others dashed over to where Cody stood, trying despritely to pull his foot out of what seemed like a dead tree sapling that clung to his boot. It looked like a gnarled hand that reached out of the ground to trip him. Cody was beginning to get worried, and pale. "I don't feel so great all of a sudden."  
  
"What do you mean?" Yolei asked.  
  
Cody tried to pull his boot out, but indeed, he didn't look very well. And he appeared to be getting weaker every second. "I don't know, it feels like this...thing is sucking the life out of me. There's something going on here, and I don't like it at all."  
  
"Pull your foot out of your shoe." Ken offered without actually moving to help.  
  
"You don't think I haven't already tried that!" Cody snapped, terror glittering in his eyes. "Get it off of me!"  
  
Yolei started prying it off of poor Cody, but stopped suddenly. "That thing...It's unusually warm." She looked at Ken. "I think it's alive!"  
  
"You don't think that that's a demon, do you?!"  
  
Cody collapsed to his knees, his eyes rolling back slightly on impact. He managed to grab his yellow D-3. "Armadillomon, do you have enough energy to Digivolve?"  
  
"Yeah, but I don't think you do."  
  
The other kids reached for their D-3's.  
  
Cody fought to keep his eyes open. For some odd reason he was getting very sleepy. "Huh?"  
  
"You and I share energy. So if you... Oh, never mind. I'll give it a try. Armadillomon digivolve to..."  
  
"Hawkmon digivolve to..."  
  
"Wormmon digivolve to..."  
  
Armadillomon: "Ah, rats..."  
  
"Aquilamon!"  
  
"Stingmon!"  
  
"Cody?"  
  
"I-I'm awake, but I do think it's time to get a rest..." He closed his eyes and fell forewards. His D-3 tumbled out of reach.  
  
"Quick, try it again!" Aquilamon screeched, then attacked the nasty tree-like thing like it was a juicy bug. He ripped at it trying to pry it loose, but it refused to give. Stingmon stood ready to leap into battle as soon as needed.  
  
"Armadillomon digivolve to...Arg! Nothin'!"  
  
Finally, Aquilamon managed to pull it out of the ground and off of Cody's leg. Unfortunately, Ken had been right. It was a demon. In fact, it was Zarg, looking sorta like that big bug creature that had eatten Davis, although that had really been Garz. That tree-thing was his hand, and Aquilamon now had it in his beak. Zarg grinned that nasty grin. "Boo!"  
  
Aquilamon shreiked and dropped Zarg.  
  
"Happy to see me?"  
  
"You just startled me, that's all!"  
  
"I'm not here to pick a fight. I got what I came for. See ya later, DigiBrats!" He waved, then dived back into the ground. It was over. Just like that.  
  
Aquilamon and Stingmon looked around warily before shrinking back to their rookie forms.  
  
"Cody?" Yolei shook him violently until his helmet fell off and rolled over to Armadillomon, who just stared blankly at it. Then Cody's armor faded to his normal Digidestined clothes. "Cody! Wake up, now, before...Before that thing comes back!"  
  
"Yolei?" Ken said softly, gently putting his hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Shut up, Ken!" She snapped, tears welling up in her eyes. "I know what you're thinking. Cody is not dead. He can't be! We need everyone to get back, don't we?"  
  
Did he have to answer that? "I thought so."  
  
"Exactly!" She squeaked. She tilted Cody's head so she could check for breathing. None. And a pulse? No luck there either. She then began to give CPR. She'd taken a class for it, like, two years earlier and she just prayed she wasn't getting rusty. It's one of those skills that's nice to have, but you really hope you never have to use. She mumbled between breaths. "I won't let him die...He means way too much to me...Cody's the only person who's ever really taken the time to...Listen to my problems...I won't lose him...I can't loose him!"  
  
But as more time passed, the dimmer the chance of bringing Cody back became. Yolei refused to give up hope, even when she noticed his body temprature start to go cold... Finally, Ken decided that enough was enough. "Yolei?"  
  
"Don't say a word, Ken." She was shaking.  
  
He didn't, but gently managed to pry her away from Cody's body. She collapsed into Ken's arms and sobbed uncontrolably, muttering so softly, Ken couldn't really understand half of it. He just rubbed her back and listened to what she tried to say.  
  
"I never knew I cared so much about Cody, Ken. All this time I was treating him like just a little kid. But he never acted like a kid. He was the most grown up of all of us! *snif* It's funny how you never know how much you care about someone until their gone, ya know?"  
  
Ken closed his eyes as he felt a flood of tears rushing up from somewhere deep inside. "Yeah, I know. I lost my brother a long time ago and haven't been the same since. It hurt so much... not too long after that I took my first steps towards becoming the Digimon Emporer."  
  
Yolei turned back to where Cody lay, his hair messed up and an almost, but not quite peaceful look on his face. If it wasn't for the distinct pale green color of his skin and the fact that he wasn't breathing, one could almost swear that he was sleeping. Almost. "I never realized it before, but I care about him. He's always been my best friend. He would invite me over to his house to work on his computer, and it wouldn't get done because we would start talking and we'd forget about it. I could tell him everything. Everything. He's so understanding...and patient...and I-I know this sounds funny, but I think I'm... in love... with him."  
  
A slightly ironic touched Ken's lips, and a brief pang of pain touched his heart. "How could you not know something that important?"  
  
Yolei shook her head and brushed the hair away from Cody's eyes. "I don't know. But I've liked plenty of guys before, and this feels different. This is deeper than anything I've ever felt for any other guy. I don't know why, but..." Out of impulse, she kissed Cody's cold lips.   
  
And jumped when she felt a surge of power flow into him.  
  
Cody's eyes snapped open to see Yolei kissing him, which is probably the last thing he expected to wake up to. So, it was a small wonder when he scrambled away, yelling, "Who are you, and what have you done with Yolei?"  
  
"Well, he's back," Hawkmon commented, wiping the tears out of his eyes. "I don't know how, but he's definately back."  
  
Yolei looked down at her clothes to discover that once again the Digital World had changed them for her. She wore knee high red velvet boots, a silk red dress with the pink Crest of Love on it, and a green sash loosely tied around her waist. Her helmet was gone, and red roses had woven themselves into her purple hair. There was a soft, girly tone to her features. This was definately a new look for her. "Wow, cool!" She turned to Ken. "How do I look?"  
  
Ken gave her the thumbs up, but refrained from making any comment.  
  
"You're alive!" Armadillomon exclaimed, as he tossed Cody his helmet.  
  
After throwing another frightened glance in Yolei's direction, Cody fluffed his hair and restationed the helmet. The rest of his armor reppeared right away. "Of course, I'm alive. Say, did I miss something? Where's the demon?"  
  
"It took off, after..." Yolei bit her lip, the event still brutally fresh in her mind.   
  
Ken finished for her. "It said it had what it came for, and disappeared. I think...I think it tried to steal your soul, Cody."  
  
The thought of that was just disturbing. Cody made a disgusted face, but then shrugged it off. "Well, I feel fine. So...I guess he failed, now didn't he?"  
  
"I'd hate to see what Keesma is going to do to him, too." Wormmon said with a slight laugh.  
  
Cody took a deep breath and scanned the horizon in all directions. A glimmer of pure light spilled over the horizon like a brillant golden sunrise. He squinted at it, and then pointed it out to the others. "That is the castle. The good one. The bad one is behind us. And let's keep it that way."  
  
"Are you fit for travel?" Ken asked. "I mean, you were technically dead about two minutes ago."  
  
Cody grinned. "Sure I am. Nothing keeps us Megadigidestined down for long. Now, come on. It won't be long now. A few more hours at the most and-"  
  
"Oh, man, we'll never get there!" Yolei yelled.  
  
* * * *  
  
"Davis? Davis, where are you?"  
  
"Davis! Come back!"  
  
TK, Patamon, and Veemon had been looking for Davis for hours, but with no luck. Davis was living the high life in the castle, so of course they weren't going to find him.  
  
TK sighed. "This isn't looking too good. I don't think we're going to find Davis or the demon that ate him."  
  
Veemon flopped to the ground. "I knew it. He's dead, isn't he?"  
  
"I hate to admit it, but I think he is, Veemon."  
  
Tears sprang up into Veemon's eyes. "Then could we have a moment of silence?"  
  
They closed their eyes and thought of the good things about Davis. It was a bit hard at first since he had been quite a jerk the last time they'd seen him. But he was normally an excellent leader, able to see the big picture and make difficult, life-or-death decisions. And even though he pretended not to care about a lot of things, he really did. And he might be a little clueless about other things, but at least he tried to understand. He was so young. No one should die in their teens.  
  
The wind howled and Veemon suddenly felt all alone.   
  
The howling grew louder. "Say, do you guys hear that?"  
  
"No," TK said, straining to listen.  
  
"I did," Patamon declaired. "And it doesn't sound natural."  
  
The ground shook and burped up Garz. "Surprise!"  
  
TK's eyes went wide. "It's the thing that ate Davis! What luck!"  
  
Garz stomped the ground with his many spider-like legs. "Now I will eat you too!"  
  
Patamon flew into the air and growled, "Not if I can help it!"  
  
TK grabbed his green D-3. "Digivolve!"  
  
Garz spit a nasty green substance that stuck to Patamon's wings and froze like cement. He dropped like a stone. "I can't move!"  
  
Veemon put his hands on his head and squeezed his eyes shut. There was nothing he could do without Davis. He was helpless! He watched with horror as Garz swallowed Patamon.  
  
"No!" TK yelled. Garz turned slowly to him and charged. TK threw his hands up and waited for the end, but it wasn't coming. Suddenly he was behind the demon, instead of in front of him. By the time he realized that he had somehow teleported out of danger, it was too late. Garz swallowed him before he could even blink. He went out like a light.   
  
Garz went 'poof' and disappeared.  
  
Veemon blinked unbelievingly. He had been spared, but for some reason he wasn't too happy about it. "Not again! That's the second time my friends get eatten and that stupid monster doesn't take me too! That figures. Urgh, that really figues. What do I do now?"  
  
* * * *  
  
Keesma sat on the floor at the foot of her throne with Davis's head in her lap. She slowly stroked his aburn hair as if he were a cat, and he had his eyes closed in total bliss. She couldn't help but smile. It had been a very long time since she had someone under her spell like that, and she almost forgot how wonderful it felt.  
  
Actually, this felt too right. She was beginning to feel his crest burning inside of her every time she touched him. It was trying to reconnect with him, and become a part of him. That made her want to be a part of him. For the first time ever she felt some kind of emotion for him. No, it wasn't quite an emotion, but it was terribly close. It was a desire. A need. A dependence. And she hated it.  
  
Unknowingly, in a sudden brust of anger Keesma dug her fingernails into his temples, causing him to cry out in pain. She realized what she was doing and resumed slowly running her long fingers through his hair. "Shh, My Pet. It's all right. Go back to sleep."  
  
He sighed and partially closed his eyes again. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Nothing," she whispered. "Everything's perfect. Now do you understand how much easier this is than resisting me?"  
  
He smiled. "I can't believe I fought this. It's wonderful."  
  
"See? I know what's good for you."  
  
There was a pause. Davis told her in a small, quiet voice, "I love you, Keesma."  
  
She frowned. Love. The very sound of the word made her sick. She quickly ran her fingers down his neck, and he surpressed a giggle. "I'm sure you do, Davis."  
  
Just to ruin the moment, Garz popped out of the floor in front of them. Davis jumped to his feet, and Keesma quickly followed.  
  
"Don't you ever knock?" They yelled at the same time.  
  
"Sorry, Great Ones, but I have a gift for you!" He reached into his mouth, pulled out TK and Patamon who were both unconsious and covered in green spit. He tossed them across the room. TK bounced off the wall, gasped for air and coughed violently.  
  
"Oh, you brought me Hope. Wonderful job, Garzie!" Keesma hugged the nasty demon like he was a cuddly puppy.  
  
That ticked Davis off. "Okay, okay. Yeah, good job. Now hit the road!"  
  
"Aww!" Garz disappeared again.  
  
TK rolled over and opened his eyes. He scanned the room, and when he saw Davis, he groaned, "Oh, no! If you're here that means I'm dead!"  
  
Davis laughed, "Nope, but I bet you wish you were."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Don't you get it? Do I have to spell this out for you? I had one of my loyal minions bring you here."  
  
TK removed his helmet and rubbed his head. "Your minions? What are you talking about? And wait! We've been looking for you for hours! Have you been here the whole time?"  
  
Davis waved his hand dismissively. "So what? This is the best place to be! Oh, welcome to my castle, by the way. This is the new official capital of the Digital World."  
  
His castle? His minions? Something just wasn't right. "Davis, I demand an explination!" TK yelled through Keesma, obviously not seeing her.  
  
Davis laughed at this. "You don't demand anything anymore, Hope. I'm the boss now."  
  
Keesma laughed slightly at that.  
  
TK clenched his fists and tried to think logically about what was going on. It didn't add up. Sure, Davis could be a jerk sometimes, but he was never this bad. Inside, he had had a good heart. What would make Davis change like this so quickly? "Oh, so now you think you're the new Digimon Emporer, huh?"  
  
Davis shrugged. "I personally think Ken made a crapy dictator. I think I'm better than he ever was at being evil."  
  
TK made a sudden lunge for Davis's throat, but didn't get very far because Keesma was in the way. She waved her hand and his feet became glued to the spot. His momentum still kept going and he fell to his hands which also stuck. "What the-" He never got to finish that thought out loud before three smokey rings of dark energy surrounded him with a forcefield.  
  
Keesma shreiked with delight.  
  
Davis's eyes went wide. "What did you do to him?"  
  
She pointed to the dark energy rings. "That'll transfer all the physical energy out of his body and into yours. Then after he's drained-but before he croaks-I...I mean you....can steal his crest. Isn't that wonderful, my dear?"  
  
Davis bent down onto his knees to get a good look at TK, who winced and glared at him. Davis stuck his tounge out at him. "Cool! That'll teach him to yell at me and steal my girl."  
  
Keesma decided it best to ignore that last part.  
  
"But how will I know when I can take his crest?"  
  
"When he startes to loose his armor, silly. You should know that."  
  
Davis was confused. "Oh, ah, of course."  
  
"I can do that to the rest of them too, if you want me to."  
  
He hesitated. "All of them?"  
  
"Yes, all of them." She sent him a look that sent a shiver through him. He didn't say any more about Kari. Suddenly a gong sounded and she put a hand to her ear. "Oh, time's up. Gotta go, honey. I'll see you later. Have Garz take that monster wanna-be and lock it in the dungeon. Oh, and you better get something else to eat. I'm hungry."  
  
He held out his hands to her and whimpered.  
  
She rolled her eyes but embraced him one last time. "I won't be far."  
  
"But where are you going?"  
  
"I live in your soul now, and I can't survive for very long outside of you. One day it won't have to be like this, but for now I must leave you. And here's a tip: if you want to impress your lady friend, get out of that bathrobe." Then she disappeared in cloud of black sparkles that fell all over him and were absorbed by his skin. He felt energy flow back into him, but...Now he missed his Mistress.  
  
Davis sighed, collected his new clothes (which seemed to be mulitpling) and went to find a mirror.  
  
Garz scuttled up to him as he emerged from the bathroom after about an hour of doing his hair. He rather liked his new look. The black shirt and leather pants seemed to suit him better. And that jacket kicked some major butt. He was actually feeling in a great mood until he laid his eyes on the ugly Garz. "Master had a nice visit from the lovely Keesma?"  
  
He didn't want to think about her leaving him. "Yeah. Say, where's your annoying brother?"  
  
Garz chuckled. "Which one? I have many annoying brothers."  
  
Davis threw a 'not funny' look at him. "Zarg. He was supposed to get me the Crest of Knowledge."  
  
He gasped overly dramatically. "That nasty bug! He only did that because I left to get Hope for you! I am really disappointed in him."  
  
"Yeah, whatever. Here's something for you to do to get your mind off of it. Do you see Patamon over there? Take him to the dungeon and tie him up, or something. Make sure he can't digivolve."  
  
"Aye-aye, sir!"  
  
"And make me a demon sandwich!"  
  
* * * *  
  
Cody dropped behind to walk with Yolei. He spoke softly and quietly. "So, Yolei, could you please tell me what you were doing when I woke up?"  
  
Ken realized he was in the lead and turned to watch what was going on. He didn't say anything because he didn't want to ruin the moment.  
  
Yolei blushed. "W-what do you mean?"  
  
Cody also blushed a tiny bit. "Well, you certainly weren't giving me CPR."  
  
"I did that, but it didn't help anything." There was a pause as decided on the best way to go about explaining herself. "We never talk anymore, have you realized that?"  
  
Cody blinked wordlessly a few times. That wasn't what he was expecting at all.  
  
Yolei continued, "When I left for high school, we seemed to drift appart. We used to be so close, ya know? And when you died I realized just how much I miss you."  
  
"You miss me?"  
  
She bit her bottom lip and nodded.  
  
"But I thought I was nothing but a little kid to you."  
  
"No! You were never a little kid, uh, no offense. It just took a while for me to figure that out. You're my best friend. And... I care about you."  
  
It took him a few seconds to figure out what she meant by that. His eyes went wide and he suddenly had trouble speaking. "Does that mean when I woke up you were kissing me?"  
  
"Uh-huh."  
  
He was silent for a few more seconds as he tried to get his mind working again. Yolei finally liked him. He had had a crush on her for years, and he even told her once. She blew him off saying he was too young to know what love was. But that was in the past now. NOW she liked him, and that's all that mattered. He had to think of something witty to cover up his nervousness. He snapped his fingers and regurgitated the first corny line that came to him. "It only figures I'd die before I got my first kiss. None of the girls ever seem to like me!"  
  
She looked away. "I think that kiss is what brought you back."  
  
"Wow. Is that why you've got Megadigidestined clothes?"  
  
"Megadigidestined clothes?" She echoed absent-mindedly, "Yeah, I guess that was my test."  
  
"What was?"  
  
She blushed even more. "Realizing what true love really is."  
  
He stopped her by gently laying his hand on her shoulder. She remembered how cold he'd been not too long before and was glad that he was now so warm and so close. He slowly asked her, "So based on this new knowledge, would you say you love me?"  
  
"Yes. I always have, Cody."  
  
They stared wordlessly into each other's eyes. Cody had to force himself to think for practically the first time in his life. He whispered, "I'm sorry I've been such a jerk lately. When I set my mind on something, I don't let anything get in my way of getting it done."  
  
"I know. But that's not a bad thing. It's one of the things I like the most about you. You're committed. Determined."  
  
"...Yeah, and stubborn, unforgiving, and ruthless," he finished the list, laughing at himself. "Anyway, I never got to thank you for bringing me back."  
  
"Oh, you don't have to-" Cody cut her off by pulling her close to him and bringing his lips to hers. She closed her eyes and didn't resist it. She was just thankful that he was alive and able to kiss her back now. This was not a lustful kind of kiss at all. It wasn't even that good of a kiss, nor did it last that long. But it ment more to them than anything had ever ment before. What they shared went all the way back to before they even became Digidestined, back before they had hormone problems to get in the way. And now they both knew it.  
  
The two didn't even notice that four pairs of eyes were stairing at them.  
  
Armadillomon sighed, "They grow up so quickly, don't they?"  
  
Hawkmon whiped a happy tear out of his eye. "Yes, but you have to admit, they make such a cute couple!"  
  
Then both of them sobbed loudly and hugged each other.  
  
* * * *  
  
One useful talent all demons had was the ability to shape-shift. That's how Garz fooled Davis into thinking he was really Veemon. Garz was okay at it, but he sometimes forgot to act like the things he mimicked. When it came to mastery in the art, Zarg was the one in the family who really took the cake.  
  
After he realized that he hadn't actually got the Crest of Knowledge, he switched his plan. Now he would bring Light safely to his Master, and then Davis would hopefully forget about Zarg's little failure.  
  
He watched Kari and Gatomon from a distance.  
  
"That's it!" Gatomon declaired, throwing her paws in the air in frustration. "I'm sorry, Kari, but Davis is TOAST!"  
  
Kari gasped, "What an awful thing to say, Gatomon!"  
  
"Well, he's not here, and he's not there. He's not in any of the places we've looked, so I figure that he's just not anywhere. That thing did eat him like he was a juciy mouse, after all."  
  
"Still, that's not nice at all. You should respect the dead." Then the horrible realization of what had (or what she thought had) happened forced her to fall to her knees. She covered her mouth with her hand and tears came into her eyes.  
  
Gatomon carefully approached her. "Kari?"  
  
"I think he really is dead!"  
  
Zarg giggled, knowing all too well that Davis was very alive.  
  
Kari hugged her Digimon partner. She sobbed, and Gatomon patted her on the back. "There wasn't anything you could have done to help him."  
  
Zarg guessed this would be the best time to go ahead with his plan.  
  
"I don't get it," Gatomon said after a long pause, "I thought you didn't like him."  
  
Kari sniffed. "He's my friend. Not only that, he's a Digidestined. Wether I like him or not we have a bond from all of our experiences here in the Digital World. We-"  
  
TK suddenly popped out of nowhere and landed in front of them. He gasped for breath and scrambled to his feet.  
  
"TK, what are you doing here?"  
  
His voice was panicky, "They got Patamon and Veemon! One second there they were and the next second one of those demons had eatten the both of them. Then it disappeared and-"  
  
Gatomon held up a paw. "Hold it! Calm down!"  
  
He took a deep breath. "Oh, okay."  
  
"Now, the question is, what are we gonna do about it?"  
  
"I know where they are."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I saw where the thing took them, but I need your help getting in there."  
  
"How in the heck did you see where it went? I thought you said it disappeared."  
  
"No, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking clearly. It didn't disappear. It flew."  
  
Gatomon looked at him like he was crazy. "Okaay. Let's go then."  
  
Kari noticed how oddly TK was acting, but couldn't figure out what was wrong. He still looked and talked the same way, but somehow he was different. More nervous, and more talkitive than usual. He made a point of hiding behind everything like something out there was surely watching him.  
  
They walked for a relatively short distance before he stopped and pulled Kari behind a large boulder. "Do you see that castle?"  
  
She tried to peek over the top of the rock so she could see it, but he wouldn't let her. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back to face him rather forcefully.  
  
"We need to get in there, 'cause that's where they took Patamon and Veemon."  
  
Gatomon jumped ontop of the rock with the grace of the cat she was and stared down at them with unblinking eyes. "Well, what are we going to do? Walk in the front door?"  
  
"Sure! Sounds good to me." He left. Kari and Gatomon looked at each other and shrugged.  
  
Nothing tried to stop them as they approached the door. TK was about to knock on the "door" when a strong gust of wind knocked his helmet off. Even though it was made of metal, it still went rolling away. "Oh, crap. Kari, can you knock for me? I gotta go get that stupid thing." He didn't wait for her responce, but just took off after it.  
  
There was definately something not right. She sighed and knocked on the door.  
  
Suddenly, the ground opened up under her and Gatomon and they fell through screaming. It closed back up after them.  
  
Zarg had done his job.  
  
  
  
  
Will Kari suffer the same fate as the real TK?  
Or will Davis spare her?  
And will the other Digidestined ever get ANYWHERE?  
  
Find out in episode 5:  
"The Truth Revealed" 


	5. The Truth Revealed

Digimon: A Bigger Threat  
Episode 5  
"The Truth Revealed"  
  
By: Shmeilia Rockie  
  
  
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON! I own Garz, Zarg, and Keesma.  
  
  
  
Kari and Gatomon were falling through a chute, and they had no idea where it went. They couldn't even see where they were going, for it was pitch black.  
  
Gatomon fell away, down a different path. "Kari!"  
  
Kari turned over onto her stomach so she could see behind her, and the chute promptly ended. She fell on her butt.  
  
The air was a bit stale, and she couldn't see at all where she was. There wasn't any sound, save her own breathing. She hugged her knees and waited. Just what for, she wasn't sure.  
  
Suddenly, someone lit a torch. Her eyes strained to see who it was, but the light stung. She got on her gaurd. "Boy, do you look like you need a friend."  
  
That voice! "Davis?"  
  
Finally, her eyes came into focus. It really was him! She ran to him and gave him a bear hug. "I thought you were dead!"  
  
"Nope, still here."  
  
"How did you survive after that thing ate you?"  
  
He tried to look disturbed. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, um, Kari, the truth is...I-I really don't wanna talk about it."  
  
"Oh, okay. I'm just glad you're alive."  
  
He put his arms around her and drew her close to him. "I've really missed you, Kari."  
  
She looked into his eyes. They seemed wrong somehow, like they were lacking something important. She looked at his jacket. That too was different. Digidestined clothes are determined by the subconsious, and right now Davis looked like...Frankly, Kari thought he looked like a pimp. And that wasn't a good sign. "Are you all right, Davis?"  
  
He stared down at her, and suddenly she got the chills. "I've never been so right in my entire life."  
  
Kari actually felt afraid for her life. He had a hunger in his eyes. A hunger for her. She'd always known Davis was obsessed with her, but until now it hadn't been a problem. "Davis, I-"  
  
He smiled with some unkown satisfaction, then turned to leave. "Let me show you around."  
  
"Uh, okay." She reluctantly followed him.  
  
A door opened from what had been a soild wall not moments before. This didn't seem surprising at all to Davis. "I hope you like my castle, Kari. All I have is yours."  
  
What was he talking about? Suddenly Kari's mind snapped to her Digimon. "Davis?"  
  
He stopped, but didn't immediately around. "Yes?"  
  
"Where's Gatomon?"  
  
There was a pause. Davis bit his lip and slowly, calmly answered, "She wasn't with you?"  
  
Duh. "She was, but I lost her."  
  
He snorted and resumed walking. "That was a little irresponsible of you, now, wasn't it?"  
  
What was his problem? There was definately something wrong with him. Normally he'd be tripping over himself trying to help her.  
  
He lead her to a dining room. "Please stay here, Kari. I'll have my friends serve you."  
  
"But where are you going?"  
  
He thought about that. "Let's just say, I have a little business to attend to."  
  
"Oh, all right." She stepped into the room and sat at one of the long tables.  
  
* * * *  
  
"Follow, follow, follow, follow, follow the Yellow Brick Rrrroad!" Hawkmon sang in his cute little accent as he floated along. This was all too funny to him.  
  
Yolei tried to contain her building anger. She shook with the effort. "Shut up, Hawkmon, before I smash your beak in!"  
  
He clapped his wings together and batted his eyes. "Oh, but this is all too exciting!"  
  
"Okay, one more sarcastic remark, and I'll...I'll..."  
  
"Do nothing of the sort!"  
  
Ken burst out laughing. It was nervous laughter. Everyone stared at him, and he waved his hand. "I-I'm sorry, guys...But you two fight just like an old married couple!"  
  
They looked at each other, then at Ken, and started laughing as well. So did Armadillomon. Cody looked at Wormmon with a raised eyebrow, and Wormmon shrugged. "Beats me."  
  
Cody shook his head, but a smile forced its' way onto his face. "Guys, come on. We need to go."  
  
The castle was visible now, as were the Freedom Spirits who gaurded it. There were quite a few American Digidestined. They transformed into great angle-like beings (quite taller than they should have been) with three pairs of pure white wings. The sight of them was rather breath-taking.  
  
The two Freedom Spirits who gaurded the only entance wore silver armor and what looked like the U.S. flag draped across each of them. They held golden scythe-like staffs that looked especially imposing. Yolei noted to herself how familliar those two looked. It was hard to tell from that distance.  
  
Everyone fell silent. The games were offically over.  
  
Most of the Freedom Spirits ignored them as they approached. Only the two at the doors seemed to even be paying attention. Not realizing this, Yolei stepped up to the golden doors to knock. Two scythes simultaniously fell millimeters from her face. She blinked, screamed, and fell backwards.  
  
"Halt!" Said the first one in a booming, echoing voice.  
  
The other one picked up right as the other stopped, "Only those with pure hearts and true intentions may enter this holy ground!"  
  
Yolei gasped. She couldn't believe it, but she knew those two. Or at least she used to. She'd dated both of them. "Michael? Willis?"  
  
"No!" Everyone gasped.  
  
Michael and Willis were bearly recognizable. Their hair was wild from the wind, and they had cat-like eyes.  
  
Willis declared, "The kids you used to know are gone. We serve a higher purpose now."  
  
"We've waited for you, Megadigidestined," Michael said. They withdrew their scythes in unison, and floated effortlessly to the ground. "Please, follow us. Time is critical."  
  
They held out their hands and the doors burst open. The kids felt a tigling sinsation as they passed through the doorway. They felt instantly refreshed, well fed and clean.  
  
"Woah," Ken yelped. "Our clothes. They're back to normal."  
  
Cody and Yolei looked down and saw their normal Digidestined outfits.   
  
"What's the deal?" Yolei was just getting used to her nifty dress.  
  
The doors slammed shut.  
  
Willis smiled slightly. "We are humble here. There is no need for you to overimpose yourselves."  
  
Cody wanted to crack about the fact that Willis was still in full armor, but decided it was best if he didn't say anything.  
  
"Megadigidestined, we are at war."  
  
"Haven't we always been?" Cody asked.  
  
"This time the fight has gone too far. Boundries have been broken, innocent lives lost. We cannot let it go on."  
  
"This is the last game, friends. We play for keeps."  
  
"What are we supposed to do?" Ken asked, egar to help.  
  
They ignored his question. "One of your own has fallen to the wrong side."  
  
"Who?" Everyone shot a glance at him, and he shook his head.  
  
"Davis. You must bring him back, Kindness."  
  
Ken's eyes widened. "Me? Why me?"  
  
"You've been down his path. Only you truely know what its like to be possessed by the powers of darkness."  
  
He got quiet. "You mean when I was the Digimon Emporer, don't you?"  
  
Michael nodded once. "That was not a pleasant experience, but you've grown from it. Now you must help your friend in his time of need."  
  
Ken took a deep breath. He got tired every time he thought about that awful part of his life. "How? How can I help?"  
  
They came to another set of doors. Willis held his hand out to them. "This is the Throne Room. Here is where everything makes since."  
  
When the doors swung open everyone-kids and Digimon alike-gasped for the beauty of it all. Everywhere they looked they saw glowing, shining jewels in wonderful patterns over the walls and the celing. The walls were made out of a iridescent material.  
  
Their minds were blown away. There really is no describing how beautiful it was. Only Michael and Willis remained focused.  
  
"Darkness wants only to destroy. You Megadigidestined, along with us Freedom Spirits are here to rub out that destruction. Life must prevail."  
  
That was all they needed to hear. Suddenly, their task was crystal clear. "What do we do?"  
  
"You need to unlock the ability to Morph Digivolve."  
  
"Morph Digivolve?"  
  
"Each of you must merge with your Digimon partner. Then the powers of your Digimon will increase ten-fold."  
  
"Unfortunately, that means you and your Digimon will be one. You will never see each other again, save in your most peaceful dreams."  
  
The kids looked at their Digimon. This couldn't be happening. They just got their friends back, and now they must say good-bye for good?  
  
"We will do whatever it takes to beat evil," Wormmon said to them.  
  
"Yeah," Armadillomon joined in enthusiastically, "We'll whup 'em good, no matter what!"  
  
"All right, then," Cody said with a heavy heart, "If you're willing to do it, so am I."  
  
"How exactly do we 'Morph Digivolve', anyway?" Yolei demanded.  
  
"You will know when the time is right!" They boomed in unison.  
  
She flinched. "Okay, okay! I get it!"  
  
"Don't rush us, that only wastes time!" Willis waved his staff and a hologram appeared in the air. "This is the Power Orb. The evil demon queen (known in this realm as Keesma) stole it from the all-worthy Powers That Be. She needed the power of an upper Digidestined crest to power it to it's potential, so she forced Davis to give up the Crest of Courage. She has not yet come to full power, and you must not let her-"  
  
Cody held up his hand like he was in class. "Wait. What do you mean, 'come to full power'."  
  
Willis made a frustrated face. Michael explained, "When she reaches the height of her power she will completely possess Davis. As of now, he is still in control."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Willis continued, "Her real goal is to control the Crest of Light, the strongest crest."  
  
There was a collective gasp. "Kari!"  
  
"Kari is within Keesma's grasp even as we speak. That is why you must not interrupt us. When she has total control of Davis's body, she'll, at least in theory, be able to take any crest at will, sparing the Crest of Light. The only way you'll defeat her is if you Morph DNA Digivolve."  
  
"Which one of us will do it?" Ken asked quietly, somehow already knowing the answer.  
  
"You, Kindness."  
  
"Figures," he mumbled.  
  
"Why can't I do it?" Yolei whinned, then added, "Or Cody?"  
  
"Only Kindness has the...strength to endure the strain of taking on three extra minds."  
  
"Three minds!? Wow, I'm glad I'm not doing it, then."  
  
"Yolei!" Hawkmon scolded.  
  
"Oh, yeah, sorry, Ken. That didn't sound right. I'm sure you can handle it. Should be no problem, right?"  
  
Ken sighed, and closed his eyes. The idea of having four minds was rather disturbing. "I'm not sure."  
  
Michael put his hand on Ken's shoulder and smiled warmly. "Of course you can. The Powers themselves picked you, and they are never wrong. Have confidence! You're on the winning team."  
  
"But my DNA Digivolving partner is Davis. If he's...evil...How can I Morph DNA Digivolve?"  
  
"Do you really believe that Digivolving is that limited? You'll just do it with someone else. No big deal."  
  
"Oh, all right."  
  
Willis had gone across the room while Michael gave that pep-talk to Ken. He returned now with three items. "These are gifts that should assist you in this quest."  
  
He handed Cody a wooden staff with the Crest of Reliablity engraved into it. "You know how to use this."  
  
Cody took it gently and bowed his thanks.  
  
He held out a long golden chain. "Kindness, these are magical chains that can bind demons. You will drive Keesma from Davis and then put this around his neck. That will seal her from ever repossessing him."  
  
Ken looked sick, but he took the gift anyway.  
  
Then Willis turned to Yolei, who looked left out. He smiled at her. "Dear Love, don't start crying."  
  
She blushed with embarrassment. "I won't cry!"  
  
"Of course not. You're stronger than that. Here, this is yours." He draped a golden necklace over her head.  
  
Yolei stared questioningly at it. There was a heart-shaped vile of sparkling, pearly green liquid dangling at the end. "What's this?"  
  
"It heals all minor injuries."  
  
"Cool!"  
  
"Nothing life-threatening, mind you. Just cuts and punctures."  
  
"Still...thanks! I'd hug you, but...No."  
  
"Now," they announced, "You must be on your way."  
  
* * * *  
  
Davis entered the Throne Room, where TK lay in agony on the floor. Dark energy rings slowly drained his strength away. Davis bent down to his level. "How's it goin', Hope?"  
  
TK made a disgusted face and refused to look at him. This, of course, only made Davis laugh.  
  
"Aw, what's wrong? Gettin' tired?"  
  
Nothing.  
  
Davis assumed that TK could hear him very well when he lowered his voice. "Kari is here."  
  
TK's eyes went wide with fury, giving him away.  
  
"I'm going to make her mine, and there's nothing you can do about it." Davis was trying to make TK give up hope, and in consequence, his crest.  
  
TK just shook his head, but he looked defeated.  
  
"Garz! Zarg!"  
  
Immediately, they were standing in front of him. "You bellowed, sir?"  
  
"Serve Kari in the Dining Hall."  
  
"What do we serve her, Master Davis? Surely she does not want to eat demon energy!"  
  
"Duh, give her human food!"  
  
"Oh, how could we have forgotten?" Zarg said shrugging as they left.  
  
* * * *  
  
The wind moaned inceassantly. Veemon burried his face in his hands and cried. All his friends were gone, eatten. He had no reason to go on. "What do I do? What do I do?"  
  
He hadn't expected an answer for that, but he got one. *Do you really want to know?*  
  
He looked around, on his gaurd. "Who's there?"  
  
Nothing.  
  
"Great. Now I'm hearing voices."  
  
*You know who I am. We've talked before.*  
  
Veemon gasped. It was the guy from his dream! "Where are you?"  
  
*Inside your heart. Outside. I'm everywhere.*  
  
Weird. "What do you want me to do?"  
  
*Turn to your left and look. What do you see?*  
  
Veemon looked in that direction. Nothing. Wait, there was something. A tiny dot that turned into a castle when he squinted at it. "Is that a castle?"  
  
*Yes. Go to it, Veemon. I will give you futher instructions when you arrive.*  
  
"Okay..."  
  
There was silence once again. Veemon took a deep breath and started towards the tiny dot.  
  
* * * *  
  
Kari was driving herself insane wondering what had happened to Gatomon. She must have been awake for 24 hours now, and fatigue was starting to wear on her nerves. She knew she shouldn't have, but she partially closed her eyes and rested her head on the table. She stared into the warm glow of a candle off to her left. What was that nagging feeling playing around the edge of her mind? It had something to do with Davis. She didn't exactly feel very safe around him now, and she couldn't figure out why. She had no idea it was because he was possessed by the embodiment of darkness and evil.  
  
As she slipped into the world in between dream and reality, voices began to whisper to her, "...come, child, join us...become a survant of our Master...with your power, you could do whatever you want..."  
  
She gasped and jerked awake. "What was that?" Suddenly, she had an overwhelming desire to get out of there. She stood up, torn between the need to run and the feeling that she should be waiting for Davis.  
  
Zarg and Garz choose that moment to waltz in there wearing waiters' outfits, and carring trays of bread and fruits. Of course, Kari took one look at them and screamed. Who can blame her? They're seriously ugly.  
  
Davis wasn't really done torturing TK, but when he heard the object of his desire scream her lungs out, he came running. He skidded to a halt in the doorway. "GARZ! ZARG! You two are the biggest idiots in the entire Digital World!"  
  
"Whaaat?" They whinned. "We didn't do nothin'!"  
  
He bonked both of them on their heads, and their eyes got spinney. "You're scaring Kari!"  
  
Kari was very confused. "Davis, you know these things?"  
  
"Oh yeah, they're my min-" He caught himself and laughed nervously, "Uh, my friends."  
  
"I'm sorry to say, they look a bit like demons."  
  
"DEMONS!" he yelped, looking nervously at the two, and silently urging them not to say a word. "They are not demons! They're...uh, de-mon...YEAH! They're Digimon!"  
  
She sat back down. "Funny Digimon...they don't even look like the same species."  
  
Davis sat at the head of the table. "Aw, they're weird like that. Don't mind them. All they want is to please you."  
  
"Okay," she sighed. He was looking at her with a dreamy expression on his face, making her nervous. Garz and Zarg plopped the plates in front of her and scurried away. She timidly reached for a piece of bread, but stopped. "Aren't you going to eat anything, Davis?"  
  
The very thought of human food turned his stomach, even though he knew he still needed it. "Nah, I-I'm not that hungry. I already ate before you got here."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Davis watched Kari eat, and all he could think about was how beautiful she was in the soft candle light, almost as beautiful as Keesma. She didn't look at him, but kept her eyes on her plate. That was so boring... Soon Davis found himself overcome with exhastion. Slowly, he let his eyes fall shut.  
  
Kari felt a chill in the air. A strange, muffled voice called out to her, and with great fear she realized that it was coming from Davis. His eyes were closed in concentration. "Kari?"  
  
Oh, no. She knew the truth. The reason he'd been acting funny, and why he had that look in his eyes. "Yes?"  
  
His eyes snapped open, and they glowed with an eerie red light. Kari felt the chill go down her spine. Davis was not in there. He talked in a slow, deadly tone, "Give me your crest, Kari."  
  
"What?" She froze like a cat in headlights.  
  
"I won't play games with you." He weakly got up out of the chair and stood over her, shaking with the effort to stay standing. "Give me your crest."  
  
"No!" The urge to run finally won over her, and she took off like a frightened rabbit.  
  
Davis, (or I guess Keesma) grabbed her arm with a surprisingly strong grip. "I won't let you-" Suddenly, he let go and doubled over in pain as the real Davis resurfaced. "What's wrong with me?"  
  
She instinctively bent down to help him. "Davis? Is that really you?"  
  
"Of course its me," he panted for breath. "who else would I be?"  
  
She wrapped her arms around him and cuddled him like he was a child. "I know this is going to sound bad, but I think you're possessed by a demon."  
  
He squirmed, trying to get away, but she held him tightly. "No! I'm still in control! I have control over her!"  
  
Kari rubbed his back, and he sobbed once. He was shaking uncontrolably. "Shh, Davis, calm down."  
  
He looked pleadingly at her, and she saw the complete Davis one last time. "Why? She said I was still in control, but she's just using me! I can feel her inside, trying to take over. She's like a tidal wave, I can't stop her! I can't stop her!"  
  
"Her? Who are you talking about?"  
  
He didn't respond, but buried his face on her shoulder and cried. She hugged him tight and rocked gently back and forth, determined to help him. Whatever was doing this had no right.  
  
Slowly his sobs died away, and his shaking calmed. He pulled away to gaze into her eyes. She still had her arms around him, and they were awfully close. Without warning, he pulled her into a kiss. It didn't last very long, because she pulled away and slapped him. It was her natural reaction, she didn't mean to do it. He stared at her with furious eyes. "Kari what's your problem? Don't you love me?"  
  
This was the moment Kari had dreaded for as long as she'd known him. She didn't really love him, but she couldn't bring herself to tell him.  
  
He didn't give her a chance to respond before he pinned her to the wall with a force she didn't know he had, and kissed her violently. As he moved to her neck, she knew she was in trouble. She hit him as hard as she could, but it didn't matter. Panic swelled inside of her. "Stop, Davis! Please! I don't love you!"  
  
That stopped him. He grabbed her face and stared into her eyes for what seemed like an hour. "Fine, Kari. I understand. I'm not good enough for you."  
  
"No! That's not it at all, Davis. It's not your fault. I-I just don't love you."  
  
He growled. "Then it'll give me even more pleasure to make you watch as I destroy the one you do love."  
  
"No...you've got TK locked up somewhere, don't you?"  
  
He didn't respond, but twisted her arm behind her and pushed her into the hallway. He led her into a large, dark room, and threw her to the floor. He pointed to where TK lay in agony, trapped by the dark force feild. His Megadigidestined armor fizzled slightly on and off. "There is your love. I am draining his energy."  
  
"No! TK!" TK recognized her voice and weakly opened his hollow eyes. His blue lips formed a few desprate words, but no sound came out.  
  
"Oh, yes, Kari. Now, since he can't kiss you good-bye, I'll do it for him."  
Davis grabbed her collar and once again forced her to kiss him, making sure TK saw it. Then he jumped into the force feild, and reached into the blue jewel on TK's helmet.  
  
TK screamed, and that was the end of him. He fell lifeless to the floor.  
  
"No!" Kari shrieked. "You monster!" A wave of pink energy swept the room, throwing anything not bolted down against the wall. Kari floated, suspended in the air. Her hair waved in a mane around her, her eyes flamed with the pink energy. She wore a simple silk dress with the Crest of Light on the front, and little, clear, slip-on shoes. The destruction of her true love drove her to her Megadigidestined transformation.  
  
Unfortunately, the forcefield protected Davis from the blast. "Temper, temper, Kari." He opened his hand to reveal his prize: the Crest of Hope, the second strongest crest. In an impulse he later couldn't really explain, he swallowed it.  
  
And that was the end of Davis. He dug his fingers into his temples as he fought to keep himself from falling away from the swirling universe. Evil itself laughed at him from the inside, and in a millisecond he realized just how much he'd been used. "No! What have I done?" Last famous words. With the Crest of Hope, Keesma now had enough energy to overwhelm him.  
  
Darkness fell over his eyes, and his hair went white. 'He' smiled, as Keesma gained total control "Finally! I am back!"  
  
"You will pay for this, beast!" Kari yelled in an unhuman tone. "For TK and for Davis."  
  
"We'll see, Light, we'll see." Then he disappeared.  
  
* * * *  
  
Gatomon finally woke up. She hit her head when she fell. Now, she reailized she was chained to a pillar.   
  
Opposite her, also strapped to a pillar, was Patamon. He was concious, but he had his eyes closed.  
  
"Patamon, what's going on? Where are we?"  
  
"He's gone, Gatomon."  
  
"Who? Veemon?"  
  
Patamon opened his eyes, and tears glittered there. "What? No, I don't know where Veemon is. I-I'm talking about TK."  
  
There was a pause. "Are you sure?"  
  
He nodded. "I can feel it."  
  
  
  
Will Kari get her revenge, or will Keesma get her too?  
Will the others get there too late?  
  
Find out in Episode 6:  
"Possession" 


	6. Possession

Digimon: A Bigger Threat  
Episode 6  
"Possession"  
  
By: Shmeilia Rockie  
  
  
Disclaimer: I dun't own Digimon, although I wish I did. G, Z, and K are mine! Okay, I wrote this quite a while ago, and I must say, Garz isn't this nasty anymore. G & Z are cute, little, toaster eatting monsters. They aren't even demons to me anymore! Of course, Keesma will always be evil.  
  
  
  
"Zarg, Garz, where are you?" 'Davis' called in a deadly quiet voice as he walked along the rows of cabinets in the kitchen.  
  
"MASTER!" The demon duo were drawn out from the shadows to his feet by invisible magnets. "Oh, glorious, wonderful master!"  
  
Flattered, he waited for them to finish groveling. "Zarg, I have a mission for you."  
  
Zarg looked like the happiest being alive. "Ask, oh Magnificent One, and it shall be done."  
  
Davis crossed his arms and tilted his head, amused. His white hair made his tan and now almost red eyes stand out considerably. "Go to Earth and fetch the Dark Digidestined."  
  
"Oh, yes, Master, consider it done." He disappeared.  
  
Any gloomier, and it would have snowed on Garz. 'Davis' laughed as warmly as a demon could. "Oh, Garz, you don't think I have forgotten my favorite minion, do you?"  
  
His ears perked up. "Favorite, Master?"  
  
"Yes, I have a special gift for you."  
  
Oh, goodie, a gift! "Oh, I do not deserve it, I only wish to serve you..."  
  
The demon in Davis's body waved his hand like it was naturally her own, and calmly used a voice that wasn't hers. "Spare me the crap, Garz. This gift will help you serve me to your better potential. I'm giving you the body of a former Megadigidestined. You'll like that."  
  
Garz's eyes went wide. "Oh, thank you, thank you, Master, I do not deserve it!"  
  
"Of course you don't, but I have what I want," she looked down at her stolen body, and smiled. "And I'm feeling generous."  
  
* * * *  
  
"We're not going to make it," Ken yelled into the wind that whiped his hair around him. "I just know we're too late!"  
  
"We are!" Cody confermed, his link with the Powers re-established.  
  
The kids used their Digimon for transportation, all hope for a surprise attack gone. Aquilamon and Stingmon could fly, but because of friction on the ground, Ankilomon slowly fell behind. "Go on without me," Cody commanded. Cody was the leader now, he called the shots. "Rescue Kari!"  
  
Ken and Yolei looked at each other and nodded. "I guess I don't have to worry about who I'm Morph DNA Digivolving with, huh Yolei?"  
  
"Yeah, pretty weird!"  
  
Its funny what you think about when you're going into danger. Ken's mind wandered to the summer after their experience in the Digital World, when he was going out with Yolei. She was the only girl he'd ever gone out with, even though girls practically lined up outside his door. She was the only girl he'd ever gotten close enough to to consider dating.  
  
*Flashback*  
  
They'd just seen a rather boring chick-flick that neither one had enjoyed very much, and now they were sitting at the Starbucks across the street. Ken, having no previous dating experience, reverted to the little genious he was, and started nervously babbling about a little theory he had, "... and so I hope you can see how Narnia kids and us Digidestined have so much in common."  
  
She blinked at him, a blank look on her face, and sipped her steamy almond-vanilla tea, obviously bored out of her mind. "I'm sorry, Ken, but I think you lost me back way back at the beginning."  
  
"Oh, sorry," he told his drink, no doubt a blush creeping across his face. He could have kicked himself. "I did it again, didn't I?"  
  
"Oh, it's okay, Ken, I understand. It's my fault. I haven't even read The Cronicles of Narnia!" Ken guessed he must have looked like he was about to cry, because she laid her hand gently on top of his. They didn't say much after that.  
  
*End Flashback*  
  
Everyone said they were such a cute couple. And they were. He still had pictures from that time, and he never looked so contented as when he was with her. She always smiled sweetly at him, and tried her best to make conversation, but she slowly shyed away from him because talking to him made her feel like she had the intelligence of a three year old. He knew that and made a consious effort not to use extremely big words (Geo-syncronous orbit, anyone?) Still, they just weren't at the same level. He admired her daring spirit, more than she'd probably ever know. Some part of him still loved her, felt drawn to her. But sharing his body with her? That was a little closer than he ever wanted to get to anyone. He hadn't even kissed her, for crying out loud!   
  
"Ken!" Stingmon was talking to him.  
  
He hadn't zoned out like that for a long time. "Wha...huh?"  
  
"Are you ready?"  
  
He took a deep breath. "No, but that doesn't matter. Let's go."  
  
Stingmon and Aquilamon landed effortlessly on the rocky ground in front of the castle. Time to say their final good-byes. The Digimon de-digivolved, and hopped into their friends arms.  
  
"Oh, Hawkmon, I'll miss you terribly," Yolei sniffed.  
  
"Don't worry about me, dear, you just take care of yourself. I'll see you again someday."  
  
"Yeah, in my dreams," she replied sarcastically, smiling at the irony of that statement. A single tear rolled down her cheek as she hugged him gently.  
  
Ken suddenly had a flash of a painful memory. "This is just like the time you died, Wormmon."  
  
Wormmon patted Ken's arm. "Oh, Ken, I am not leaving you. I'll never leave like that again."  
  
"Yeah, but I'll never see you again. What am I supposed to do without you? You're my best friend."  
  
"Who said you'll never see me again? I know someday there will be no more evil and suffering. Everything will be perfect, and then we'll be together again. All of us. I promise."  
  
Ken gave Wormmon a warm hug. "You always know just what to say, old friend."  
  
The moment passed. "Now how do we get in? I don't suppose we just waltz in the front door."  
  
"I know a way," a voice called. Veemon lept out of the shadows. "But we need Digmon."  
  
"Veemon, what are you doing here?" Yolei asked.  
  
"Oh, just hanging around, ya know? TK and Patamon got eatten. Just like... Davis."  
  
"Davis is alive!" Wormmon yelped rather suddenly.  
  
Veemon's eyes went wide. "He is?"  
  
"Yeah, but he might as well be dead," Ken told him, "He's possessed by the embodiment of evil. He's our enemy now."  
  
Veemon pounded his fist on the ground. "Noooo-Hey, I wonder, why am I not evil too?"  
  
"I wasn't evil when Ken was the Digimon Emp-" Wormmon realized what he was saying and shut up. "Sorry, Ken."  
  
Ken sighed. "No, that's okay. I understand."  
  
Cody and Ankilomon arrived at that moment, and Cody was a little ticked. "Guys, why in the name of all that's good are you just standing around? Oh, hi, Veemon."  
  
Veemon waved, his ears drooping. Well, at least it was good to have his friends with him again.  
  
"Veemon's going to help us get into the castle," Yolei told him enthusiastically.  
  
He nodded, "I need Digmon's help."  
  
"You got it," Ankilomon said as he de-digivolved.  
  
"DIGI-ARMOR ENERGIZE!" Cody hadn't said that for a while. He almost killed it with overdramaization.  
  
"Armadillomon Armor-Digivolve to..."  
(Spinning Digi-Egg of Knowledge, Tentomon, Kabuterrimon, and Megakabuterrimon in the background.)  
"...Digmon: the drill of Knowledge!"  
  
Veemon enthusiastically rubbed his hands together. "All right! Let's get going! Now, over there, I need a tunnel dug to the dungeon, and you'll wanna make one over there goin' that way at a 45 degree angle-Don't ask-It'll lead you to where you need to go. Any questions?"  
  
Digmon looked completely lost. "Uh...Nope!" He then began working on his task, in reverse order, starting with the tunnel going at the weird angle. "Kill two birds that way."  
  
"Oh, PLEASE don't say that!" Hawkmon sqwaked.  
  
"Sorry," he disappeared underground.  
  
"I'll come with you guys," Cody said, effortlessly tossing his new fighting staff into the air. He caught it behind his back. "Although I'm not much good without my Digimon."  
  
Ten minutes later the kids were in the near pitch-black Throne Room. Yolei grabbed Cody's arm. "Well, what do we do now? I can't see a foot in front of me, and I'm sure I have my glasses on."  
  
Cody put his arm around her and drew her close, just to keep her calm. "Have patience, your eyes will adjust."  
  
Their eyes eventually adjusted to absence of light, and then they saw Light. Kari sat in the throne, looking very tired. She'd known they were there the whole time. "Hey, guys. You missed the fun."  
  
"What happened, Kari?" Yolei asked.  
  
She sighed. "Well, Davis almost took advantage of me, but I finally told him I didn't love him. He went wako and killed TK and swallowed his soul. Oh, by the way, Davis is possessed, so don't talk to him. He's not there anymore."  
  
"Crap, we're too late." Cody slapped his fighting staff into his palm. "We'll just have to take him down."  
  
"I don't know about you guys, but I feel weird about hurting him," Yolei said almost desprately. "I mean, think about it. If we save him, he might have some kind of injury, pain, and we caused it. Not the demon."  
  
"I know what you mean, Yolei, but we'll do what needs to be done to get him back."  
  
"But what if he doesn't want to come back?" That was Ken. Everyone stared at him like he had just claimed he was really a Digimon. "You guys don't understand what its like to be in this situation. I do. And let me tell you this: if we restore Davis's soul, he will have so much remorse that he is very likely to try to kill himself. Would we really be doing him a favor then?"  
  
Silence. They really didn't understand.  
  
He threw his hands in the air and growled in frustration. "We might as well behead him! That would at least take care of Keesma too!"  
  
Something about the way he said that really ticked Cody off. "Okay, that was very Digimon Emperor of you, Ken. Sheesh, I haven't heard anything that ruthless in a long time."  
  
Pain flashed through him, and something snapped. "Ruthless? I'd probably be doing him a favor. I know when I went through this I wished someone would just kill me. Even now I sometimes still feel that way. I still have the nightmares, and I'll probably have them until the day I die!"  
  
It got too quiet. Ken just wanted to crawl into a corner and cry. Why did he loose his temper so easily? After all, Cody was right.  
  
"Yeah, well, you're not Davis."  
  
"I'm sorry, okay?" his voice was bearly above a whisper. Suddenly, all the guilt he'd managed to keep inside exploded. He dropped to his knees and covered his face with his hands. "I'm so, so sorry. Why did I do those evil things? I know it was because of the Dark Spore, but that just seems like a bad excuse. Why couldn't I have been stronger than that? I was used, and I didn't even know it. I'll never excape the things I've done. How can I ever forgive myself?"  
  
Wormmon gave him a little hug. "Everyone else forgives you."  
  
"I don't know. Sometimes I get the feeling Cody still hates me."  
  
Cody rolled his eyes. "I don't HATE you, Ken. It's just...Sometimes you...I just don't understand how you could have done the things you did."  
  
He snorted. "Yeah, that makes two of us."  
  
Kari spoke up, "Remember, Ken, that's all in the past. There's nothing you can do about it. You've got to move on."  
  
"That's easy for you to say, Kari. You've never had this problem. I did try to move on, but that didn't help get rid of the guilt. I just shoved it in a corner of my mind and hoped it would go away, but it didn't. It just got worse. Davis will be the same way, too. Just wait."  
  
He whiped away the tears and shakily stood up. "You know, I really hate evil."  
  
"Amen!" Yolei yelled.  
  
"So, uh, Kari," Cody asked quietly, "where's TK's body? We ought to...give him a proper burial."  
  
Kari suddenly realized that he was really gone and burst into tears. She buried her face in her hands as Yolei trotted over and gave her a hug. Cody looked down at his feet, knowing he should have phrased that a better way. When Kari calmed down enough to talk again she pointed shakily to where TK had met his end, but he wasn't there. "Wait, he's gone. The demons must have taken him!"  
  
"Darn right, girly," came a way too familiar voice from the doorway. All eyes slowly turned to confirm the worst. Garz had claimed TK's body as his own. He was dressed completely in black armor (he kinda looked like he was covered in a black beetle exoskeleton), with black velvet gloves and cape, but lacking a helmet. He casually leaned on the door frame, his eyes glowing with an evil light. Kari gasped. "Surprised?"  
  
"You horrible monster!" Yolei shreiked and charged at him in a blind rage.  
  
"Don't even think about it, Love," he held out his hand. She smacked into an invisible wall, stumbled, and fell down rather quickly.  
  
Cody rushed to help her up and glared at Garz.  
  
"Tootles, Digi-freaks," he waved and calmly walked away. Kari growled and ran after him. Ken tried to follow her, thinking the barrier dissolved when Garz left, but also ran into it.  
  
* * * *  
  
"Boss! Mistress-I mean, Master!" Garz barged into Keesma's bed chamber.  
  
Keesma stood in front of a long mirror, studing her new body. She couldn't decide if she liked the way Davis looked with or without the orange jacket. "Oh, dear, don't you ever knock?"  
  
"Sorry, Master," he bowed at Davis's feet. Without looking up he said, "They're here."  
  
"Already? They're more spirited than I originally thought. Hmm, well, what should we do about them?"  
  
"Oh, Mistress Keesma, they're in the Throne Room. What if they find the Power Orb?"  
  
"For one thing, Garz, don't call me Mistress and don't call me Keesma." Garz looked up, rather confused. "New body, new name. Call me Daisuke."  
  
"Um, all right, Ma-"  
  
Daisuke kicked Garz's shoulder so he toppled over backwards and now had to look at him. "Don't interrupt me! Now, do you really think I'd be so absent-minded that I'd let the Power Orb out of my sights like that, so close to the enemy?"  
  
"Oh, no, Master! Forgive me!" Garz bowed so low his nose touched the floor.  
  
"Get up, you fool. Stop acting like such a lowly demon. You've been promoted, you know. You should act like my second-in-command, not like an idiot."  
  
Garz wanted to appologize again, but managed to control himself. He slowly rose and looked his Master in the eye. He bowed only slightly. "What do you wish of me?"  
  
"That's better," Daisuke smiled. He grabbed the jacket and slung it over his shoulder. "Tell me, honestly, what looks better-with or without the jacket?"  
  
Garz shrugged and rubbed his neck, blushing slightly. "I've never been very good at this sort of thing. I think it looks good either way."  
  
"You're such a good little minion, Garz." He nuzzled Garz's nose. "but you're absolutely no help. Now, what have you done with the Megadigidestined?"  
  
Garz almost forgot all about them, but he'd never admit it. He strained his short memory for them. "Oh, yeah, they're locked in the Throne Room."  
  
"All of them?"  
  
He scratched his head in consentration. "Um...No. One girl, uh, managed to get through my barrier."  
  
"Who and where is she?"  
  
Garz looked down, "Light. And I lost her before I came here. She tried to kill me, and there wasn't anything I could do to stop her."  
  
Daisuke sighed and ran a hand through his white hair. "That figures, doesn't it? Oh, well. You can't hurt her, and she can't hurt you."  
  
"Why not, Master?"  
  
"You have her soul-mate's body. I guess even though I have his crest, his body still refuses to harm her in any way. Huh. Weird. Sorry, you'll just have to live with it. Lucky for you, it seems to work both ways."  
  
"Oh, that's good, I guess."  
  
"Let me take care of her, okay, Garzie? You need to probably help your helpless brother take care of the Dark Digidestined. And if you find Light, send her this way."  
  
"Yes, Master. So...You're not angry?"  
  
"No, Garzie, I'm not angry. I have no reason to be."  
  
Garz then tried to dive through the floor, but fell flat on his face. That amused Daisuke immensly. "Oh, dear boy. You're physical now."  
  
Garz whimpered, "But he's supposed to be able to teleport. That's his Megadigidestined power. I saw him use it."  
  
"That power comes from his crest, and I have that. So, I have the power to teleport. You do not."  
  
"Fooey," Garz climbed to his feet and left the normal way: through the door.  
  
* * * *  
  
Kari laid at the foot of a demon statue, crying softly. The love of her life was gone. Oh, how could she live without Hope? She silently pledged to kill both Garz and Keesma, or die trying.  
  
Footsteps alerted her. She looked up to see the stolen face of her best friend in two worlds. "What do you want?"  
  
Garz crossed his arms and smiled with the new confedence that she couldn't hurt him. "My Master desires your presence, Kari." The way he said her name sent a chill down her spine.  
  
"I'm not going anywhere with you, you foul beast."  
  
The smile instantly fell from his face, and he grabbed her arm and dragged her kicking and screaming down the hallway. What was the deal with these demons? Did all of them think she could be pushed around so easily? She tried to blow him away with her new power, but nothing happened. It went all around him, but it didn't touch him. What was the DEAL?!  
  
Garz opened the door to Keesma's bed chamber and threw Kari on the floor. "Here you are, Master. I'm off now." The doors slammed shut.  
  
"I'm so glad you could join me, Light."  
  
Kari's head snapped up from the floor. The nasty monster sat clutching the arms of a high-backed chair no more than ten feet away from her, a grin on his stolen face. Not Garz. Even worse: Daisuke, The Demon Emperor. The new embodiment of evil. Poor Davis. Kari could only hope for his own good that he wasn't still in there.  
  
He sat there in his tight black shirt and leather pants, smiling hungerly at her. Davis's tan showed up really easily against his white hair. So did his eyes. Normally a weird shade of brown anyway, now they were almost red. More like maroon, but glowing. On some weird, awful level Kari felt attracted to him. Light creates darkness, she tried to tell herself. The stronger the light, the deeper the darkness. She'd heard that somewhere. Probably on TV.  
  
"What do you want from me?" Kari asked desprately, suddenly very aware of the panic in her tiny, quivering voice.  
  
Surprised, he answered like it should be the most obvious thing in the universe, "I want your crest, of course. Why else would I bring you here?"  
  
She couldn't say anything. She was shaking from fear or rage, or both. Or maybe it was because she hadn't eatten enough in the past day.  
  
He laughed meniacally and held out his hand. "Well? Where is it?"  
  
He was mocking her. She almost pointed at her chest and yelled for him to come get it, but she remembered all too well what happened to TK, and she didn't want to tempt him. "You can't have it."  
  
"Aw, what's wrong, Kari? What are you afraid of? Me?"  
  
She ignored that. "Let him go, you...you MONSTER!"  
  
He looked a little shocked and amused at the same time. "Which one are you talking about? Surely you can't mean Davis. You never loved him."  
  
"He doesn't deserve this."  
  
"Deserve what? He's not wittnessing this, if that's what you mean. He's asleep, in here." He pointed to his heart, closed his eyes and smiled, looking inward. Then after a pause, he added, "And he's not the only one. TK's here too."  
  
Kari covered her mouth, but couldn't stop from gasping. He couldn't just be dead. At least then he would have been at peace.  
  
"Do you want to talk to him?"  
  
"How do I know you won't be pretending to be him?"  
  
He smiled. "You don't. But believe me, you'll know if it's him or not. There's quite a difference between us."  
  
"I don't believe you."  
  
He closed his eyes and relaxed, like he'd just gone to sleep. Suddenly he spasmed and his eyes snapped open. "Wait! I'm not dead! What happened?" Then he realized something was wrong and looked questioningly around. His eyes landed on Kari and a warm smile spred across his face.  
  
He opened his mouth, but she stopped him. "Don't say anything. Just let me look at you."  
  
That certainly was an odd request, but he let her look into his eyes. They weren't glowing anymore, and seemed softer, warmer, just like TK's eyes, only the wrong color. "TK, is it you?" she whispered.  
  
"What kind of question is that, Kari? Of course it's me." Then he realized what was wrong. "Why do I sound like Davis?"  
  
Kari flushed pink. "Don't you remember?"  
  
"Um, no. Should I?"  
  
She grabbed his hand and dragged him to the mirror. He blinked a couple of times, looking from Kari to himself and back. Then it finally clicked, and his eyes went wide. "I'm in Davis's body! Kari, why am I in Davis's body?!"  
  
"Um, well, Davis kinda swallowed your soul." That was obviously the wrong thing to say. His eyes flared with anger. Oh, yes, he remembered now. She needed to say something before he desided to hurt Davis's body. "But it's not his fault!"  
  
"Like heck it's not his fault!"  
  
"No, no, no, TK," she touched his arm and spoke as gently as she could, "He's possessed. It really isn't his fault. He couldn't control himself."  
  
He calmed down slightly. It took him a while. He put his hands on her shoulders and ran them all the way down her arms to her tiny hands. He spoke in an almost whimpering whisper, "But what he did to you is unforgivable. Are you hurt?"  
  
No." Tears welled up in her eyes. It really was him. It really was her TK. She suddenly hugged him, sobbing. He slowly put his arms around her and rubbed her back to calm her crying. She had the hiccups, that's how relieved she was.   
  
Finally, she had calmed down and rested against him. He pulled away. "This feels weird. I'm not me, I'm..." He trailed off with a distant look.  
  
"No, you're still you, TK, no matter what body you're in."  
  
He then smiled and leaned in to kiss her.  
  
There was something wrong about that. "Stop!"  
  
"What is it?"  
  
She looked into his eyes again and just knew, somehow, he was gone again. "No! You're not TK. Why do you play these games with me?"  
  
He crossed his arms and smiled. "If you just cooperated and gave it up, I wouldn't have to. You could be with him forever. Wouldn't you like that?"  
  
"Let him go!"  
  
Daisuke rolled his eyes. "Now we're back to this. Can't you think of anything more original? Let him go, let him go, let him go! Let my freaking people go. You're like a broken record, for Pete's sake!"  
  
She got ready to blast him away, and he held his arms open. He laughed harshly, "Go ahead. Give me all you got. I don't care! It's not like you'll be hurting me. This isn't my body. If you kill it, I'll just leave and take your little boyfriend's. And you know you won't be able to hurt me then."  
  
Poor Davis. He was still in there, asleep. She couldn't kill him, no matter what the cause. She pouted. "You know, you're one sick creature."  
  
"Thank you. I pride myself on it."  
  
Suddenly a pair of hands came from behind to land on her shoulders. She jumped a foot. That all too familliar voice spoke in a low, deadly quiet tone into her ear, "Hello again, my sweet. Having fun?"  
  
She fought to calm her racing heart. "Get away from me."  
  
Garz brushed the hair away from her neck and kissed her several times. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her firmly to keep her from getting away. "Hmm, I don't think so. Say, Boss, why don't we rape her? She wouldn't be able to stop us."  
  
Kari squirmed, but he held tight. Garz laughed and licked her ear.  
  
Daisuke sighed, and decided to ignore that. "Garz, what do you want? Can't you see Light and I are trying to have a conversation?"  
  
Garz opened his mouth to respond, but Daisuke cut him off, "Aren't you supposed to be helping your brother?"  
  
"That's what I came to tell you, sir. We...They didn't...They aren't coming."  
  
He narrowed his eyes. "What?"  
  
"We tried, but they said they weren't ready."  
  
"So...None of them?"  
  
Garz looked nervously around. "Well, um, one of them. Chaos."  
  
Daisuke was shaking now, but he spoke in a calm enough voice, "I would have thought she'd be the least reliable."  
  
"She said she'd go just because everyone expected her not to."  
  
"Well, that's Chaos for you." He drew in a deep breath. "All righty then. I can work with that. Light, how would you like to make a deal? I put my Dark Digidestined against your so-called Megadigidestined."  
  
"What if I refuse?"  
  
Then I'll just kill your friends."  
  
"Well if you put it that way...Let me go!" She tried to pry Garz's hands off of her, but he just laughed at her and pulled her closer.  
  
"Let Light go, Garz."  
  
"Aw, but-"  
  
"Let her go."  
  
"Aw, man!" Garz sighed and released Kari. She fell to the floor and shuddered. That was easily the most frightening experience of her entire life. Part of her mind still thought Garz was TK.  
  
Daisuke crouched beside her. "If your friends fail, I will take their crests and put my best warriors inside their bodies."  
  
"But what if they win?"  
  
"They won't."  
  
"You don't know my friends very well, do you?" She straightened out her dress and spoke with her eyes on the floor, "If they win, let Davis and TK go."  
  
"Hmm, No. Just Davis. I need Hope more than I need him. Throw in your crest as part of the wager and I'll let them both go."  
  
She thought that over for a while and slowly nodded. If she could save them, she'd do it.  
  
"Do you really have that much faith in your friends?" Garz asked.  
  
"Of course. They've been up against worse before." She didn't sound very convencing, even to herself.  
  
"All right. Garz, bring her in."  
  
There was a pause. "Uh, sir, she's already here."   
  
Everyone turned to stare at the guest. Chaos was a clean cut girl just a little younger than Kari. Actually, Chaos looked kinda like Kari. Her hair was the same color, but chopped short at the ears. She had unusually bright green eyes. She giggled, waved, and announced, "Let the game begin!"  
  
  
  
What will become of the Megadigidestined?  
Will they be able to win Daisuke's evil game?  
  
Find out in Episode 7:  
"Chaos Game" 


	7. Chaos Game

A Bigger Threat  
Episode 7:  
"Chaos Game"  
  
By: Shmeilia  
  
  
"I'm getting rather fed up with this!" Yolei growled.  
  
"You never have been very good at waiting, have you, Yolei?" Cody laughed and tapped his fighting stick on the floor in a ryhmic beat.  
  
"That's not what I'm talking about, Cody!" She grabbed the end of the staff before it hit the floor and yanked it away from him. "I'm fed up with this incessant tapping! It's driving me mad!"  
  
Cody grinned, "I think you were already mad. Now you've just gone crazy."  
  
"Cody, I love you dearly, so I hope you don't mind when I tell you to SHUT UP!"  
  
"Don't have a cow on me now, dear," Hawkmon said quietly.  
  
"It would help if certain people weren't egging me on!"  
  
Surprisingly, Cody actually giggled. "Hey, Hawkmon, stop EGGING her on! Get it?"  
  
Yolei growled, threw up her arms like she was going to strangle him, but then managed to restrain herself by burying her face in her knees and crying. Yes, crying. A very un-Yolei-like thing to do.  
  
Cody seemed unconserned. He waved in Hawkmon's direction, "Ut-oh, I do believe she's having that cow now. Cow now. Ha! All this cow and egg talk makes me want breakfast. How 'bout you, Ken?"  
  
Now, this was all a part of Chaos's game, and for some unknown reason Ken wasn't affected by it at all. "Are you two feeling all right?"  
  
"Does it look like we're all right?!" Yolei growled without lifting her head. "What's wrong with me?"  
  
"Where should I start?" Cody asked with a laugh.  
  
She whipped her eyes with her sleeve. "One second I'm all Love-charged and ready for battle, and the next..."  
  
Since Cody suddenly was of absolutely no help, Ken sat down behind her and rubbed her shoulders gently. "Go on."  
  
"Hey, get your mits off my..." Cody interrupted himself with an outburst of laughter that forced him to the floor. The Digimon were slightly disturbed by this, and tried to get him to tell them what was wrong, but he wasn't even listening to them. They sweatdropped.  
  
"I'm gonna kill that boy!" Yolei roared, then sobbed loudly, "See what I mean? I can't control the anger! The hate! It just keeps bubbling up, and I don't know where it's coming from!"  
  
"Shh, calm down. Take a deep breath, hold it and count to thirty."  
  
"Thirty? That's way too long. What are you tryin' to do here, kill me?"  
  
"Just trust me."  
  
She did as Ken told her, and it worked. She relaxed slightly and leaned back against him. "Something's wrong. With Cody too. I mean, look at him."  
  
Cody was whipping tears out of his eyes.  
  
Ken opened his mouth to say something else, but just then, the doors to the Throne Room burst open and he automatically forgot. Garz waltzed in, (just outside the barrier, of course) and smiled confedently at him. "Kindness, Master requests, no, demands your presesnce!"  
  
"Oh, yeah?" Yolei barked, getting as close to Garz's face as possible without touching the barrier. She stomped her foot and pointed to the ground. "Why don't you step in here and DEMAND that again?"  
  
Ken put his hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Yolei, I don't want to cause any more trouble. Maybe I'll even be able to get through to Davis."  
  
"But, Ken..." Wormmon scooted in front of him.  
  
Ken bent down to scratch Wormmon's head. "Don't worry about me, I know how to take care of myself. I won't let anything bad happen."  
  
"I know, but maybe I should come with you."  
  
Ken looked from Yolei, who was engaged in a staring constest with Garz, to Cody as he pounded his fist on the ground and gasped for breath in between giggles. "Stay here and make sure those two don't kill each other."  
  
"Oh, all right. But take care, okay?"  
  
Ken smiled as warmly as he could, given the sinking feeling in his stomach. "Don't worry, I have the Powers on my side. I can't loose." (When Ken said 'Powers' Garz hissed at him.)  
  
Giving Wormmon a hug, Ken took a deep breath and stood up.  
  
Garz motioned for Ken to follow him, then turned around with a swish of his black cape and left. Ken took a deep breath and followed slowly, still weary of the energy barrier. It had absolutely no affect on him. Yolei thought maybe that meant it wasn't there any more and attempted an escape which ended with her falling swiftly to the floor and cursing the powers of darkness with every bad thing she could think of.  
  
Ken stared at the back of Garz's stolen head and put his hand on the golden chain on at his belt. The little golden links had a strange warmth that felt slightly reassuring. So what if he was alone, ever since Ken could remember he'd always worked best that way. And he did have the Powers on his side. He would be okay.  
  
Garz stopped at the doorway of a dark room and waved. He yawned and said in a bored tone, "Please wait in here. Master will be with you shortly."  
  
Ken walked in the small room and sat down in a chair off to the side. Garz slammed the door shut, making Ken wince. Now all he had to do was wait. The cramped quarters reminded him of the time he'd been tied up in the back of a truck while the forces of darkness used him against his will to fulfill their plans. Boy, this situation seemed awfully familiar already. He just knew this whole meeting had something to do with the Dark Spore in the back of his neck. He didn't know how he knew, but he just did. So that's how Cody must feel about all of his knowledge, Ken thought with a laugh that came out as just a snort.  
  
"Well, well, well," a way too familiar voice called, interrupting his thoughts. "Look who it is!"  
  
Ken's eyes went wide. He knew that voice as well as his own, simply because it was his own voice. "That's not possible!"  
  
Two strong hands fell upon his shoulders, making him cringe. A wave of cold, dark energy washed over him. "Oh, it's not, is it? Anything's possible when evil is conserned, you should know that by now, Kindness."  
  
Ken jumped back so quickly he overturned his chair. He turned to face his worst nightmare. The hair, those ridiculous glasses...This was the monster he once was. "Y-You should not exist!"  
  
The Emperor smiled evily. "Oh, I know, but long as the Spore has root in your brain, I will always exist. And there's nothing you can do about it, my friend."  
  
"No," Ken backed up against the wall, wanting nothing more than to get away from this living reminder of his horrible past. "You don't...You can't be real."  
  
The Emperor picked up the overturned chair, spun it around and sat backwards in it, all in one smooth motion. He peered over his glasses at Ken. "I'm as real as you make me out to be, Kenny-boy."  
  
"No! You died a long time ago."  
  
"Are you sure about that? Maybe I'm the one who's real, and you're just the ghost of a lonely, forgotten kid who never quite got over the death of his brother. You never can be so sure about that sort of thing, can you? Ha!"  
  
At the mention of his brother, Ken's intense fear turned into hatred. He clentched his fists together and growled, "Why don't you just leave me alone?"  
  
"Temper, temper," his counter-part scolded. "Careful, you're sounding more and more like me every minute."  
  
"That's it!" Something in Ken snapped, and he threw the other him to the floor. "Why must you haunt me so?"  
  
The Emperor raised himself to one elbow and laughed cruelly, "But don't you get it? That's my job!"  
  
With that Ken punched him. "Why can't you just die?" He pinned the Emperor to the floor and strangled him. He didn't let go until long after the other quit struggling. He sat back, gasping for breath. The anger still pulsed through him, blocking all logical thoughts. He yanked the glasses off the Emperor and threw them across the room. Then quite suddenly, he realized what he'd just done. Ken back away from the lifeless body and put a hand over his mouth. He killed someone. Now, granted it was himself, but still... Killing was something he couldn't bring himself to do even as the Emperor. The form of his former self disappeared in a poof of black particles, and yet Ken couldn't move his gaze from that spot. Tears spilled over his wide, horrified eyes. "What have I done?"  
  
"Felt good, didn't it?" Daisuke stood leaning casually on the door frame, a triumphant grin on his face. "I always knew you had it in you."  
  
Ken brushed the tears from his eyes and looked away. "What do you want with me?"  
  
"Oh, just to talk. I like you."  
  
"Oh, I feel so proud of that. The embodiment of evil has a soft spot for me. That does wonders for my reputation."  
  
"Nice use of sarcasm." Daisuke sat down on the floor next to him, which compelled Ken to get up and walk across the room. "Why run from me? I won't hurt you...If you humor me."  
  
"Humor you?"  
  
"Do you know why I like you so much?"  
  
"You know what? I really don't care."  
  
"You see, dear Kindness, out of all the Digidestined, you are the only one who's seen true darkness and come back from it. Your strength is admirable."  
  
"Oh, gee, thanks. Just what I wanted to hear from a soul-sucking demon."  
  
"And for some reason you just aren't playing my game."  
  
"Game? What game?"  
  
"Chaos's game. She's got the better of your two little friends down in the Throne Room."  
  
*Flash*  
  
Yolei strangling Cody while the Digimon tried their hardest to stop her. And even though Cody's being choked to death, won't stop laughing at her.  
  
*Flash*  
  
"What have you done to my friends? And who in the good Digi-World is Chaos?"  
  
"Chaos is a Dark Spore Child, just like yourself. One member of my special team: The Dark Digidestined. They have special powers, just like your Megadigidestined. She has the power to mess with people's minds."  
  
"That's just sick."  
  
"Oh, I know. I love it. Now I want you to lead them, my little Emperor."  
  
"Fat chance, demon. I'm not like that any more."  
  
"Didn't think you were capable of murder, did you?"  
  
Ken looked down at his hands. "No, I didn't."  
  
"That was him, you know. The little Emperor inside of you, struggling to get out."  
  
"No, he doesn't exist any more." Ken took this opportunity to study the dust on top of a bookself close to him. Anything to distract himself.  
  
"Then why were you so egar to kill him? Why bother if he doesn't still exist? Seems kinda fishy to me." Daisuke pinned him to the wall and forced him to stare into his red eyes. Those eyes looked into the depths of Ken's soul. "Yep, the Emperor is still alive and well."  
  
Ken tried to look away, but found he couldn't. "I don't believe you."  
  
Daisuke brushed the hair gently out of Ken's eyes, let his hand linger on his cheeck then brought it around to the back of his neck. "The Dark Spore hasn't gone away, you know. I can feel it just under your skin, right at the base of your brain. The darkness thrives even after all these years."  
  
"You don't know anything, you m-monster," he whispered in a quivering voice.  
  
"Oh, don't I? I know every little dark thought in your head, Ken." Daisuke smiled with hunger in his eyes. "You want me to prove it?"  
  
Ken wanted to say, 'no, that's okay', but before the thought had even finished forming, Daisuke licked his lips. Ken's eyes went wide, but he found himself paralyzed, unable to do anything but kiss back. It felt horrible and wonderful. Sick, and yet so sweet. He'd never been kissed before. Ever. He closed his eyes and gave into it, letting the wonderful new feeling wash over him.  
  
Just as he did give into it, Daisuke pulled away and declaired, "You're gayer than a little kid in a candy store!"  
  
Ken looked away, ashamed. "No, I-I've liked girls. It's only when it comes to..."  
  
"Davis?" The monster laughed harshly at Ken. "You've had a crush on him ever since the beginning, haven't you? Well, I can't blame you. You must admit, I picked a hot one."  
  
"I was attracted to his spirit. His daring personality. He didn't care what others thought of him, but he still had friends, and..."  
  
"And yet I notice that delightful blush that is creeping across your neck," he ran his fingertips slowly across Ken's face and down his neck. "Judging by the shade you're turning, I'd say it's not just the personality."  
  
"Please, leave me alone," Ken whimpered pathetically, shrinking away from those penetrating red eyes.  
  
"Give me what I want, and I will."  
  
"What's that?"  
  
Daisuke eyed the emblem on the brestplate of Ken's armor. "Your crest, of course."  
  
"No way I'm giving you my soul, demon. You can just forget it."  
  
"Hmm. I wonder... How much dark energy do you think I need to give you before you revert back to the Emperor?"  
  
"Nothing you can do will make me go back down that path, so don't hold your breath."  
  
"Then I'll just have take it, like I did with Hope." Before Ken could say anything else, Daisuke reached into his chest, and grabbed the crest. Ken screamed as an unimaginable pain shot through his whole body. Daisuke's eyes glowed and his whole being radiated dark energy. He began pumping the dark energy into Ken, activating the Dark Spore once again. It burned with fierce intensity as it began to change his brain chemistry. Over Ken's howls of pain, Daisuke whispered soothingly, "Shh, my pet, it will be okay."  
  
Slowly, the seering pain dulled and the wave of panic subsided. Ken began to breath again.  
  
"See? It's not so bad, now is it?"  
  
"No," he admitted, sliding to the floor. It actually felt pretty good now that he wasn't fighting it. Refreshing, even. Like a breath of cool, fresh morning air after being locked in a closet for a long time.  
  
"Now give me the crest. You don't need it to be great, in fact it's just hindering your greatness. I'll restore you to your former glory, then you and I can rule the Digital World together. Doesn't that sound good?"  
  
He smiled, but a small voice pushed its way from the back of his mind. "But what about Davis? TK and all the others? The Digimon? What will happen to them?"  
  
"Don't think about them. Just think of yourself."  
  
"N-No. I refuse to. What will you do with them once you've gotten what you want?"  
  
Daisuke gripped his crest even harder and twisted, making Ken scream for mercy. "Please, Lord help me!"  
  
In an answer to his prayer, a flash of golden light eminated from his crest. It burst out of him so violently that it threw Daisuke against the opposite wall. Ken stared at what he realized was a bubble of energy. "A sheild!"  
  
Daisuke lept to his feet and blasted dark energy at the sheild. It only made the golden light brighter. He hissed and uttered something in demon tounge, then tried kicking the bubble. It zapped him and burned his foot. Ken laughed at him, silently thanking the Powers for saving his soul.  
  
"This is not the end, Kindness," Daisuke roared in a voice that sounded nothing like Davis's. It shook the walls. "Mark my words, I will make you pay!"  
  
Ken stood up and rasberried the ticked off demon. "Yeah, sure. You forget, I'm on the winning team."  
  
Daisuke teleported out of the room, and it was over. The bubble disappeared and Ken collapsed. He whipped the sweat off his forehead and felt the back of his head. The Spore burned under his skin. He could already feel it's affects on his body, his mind. But he still had his soul and for that he was eternally thankful. He closed his eyes, bowed his head to the floor and whispered, "Thanks. Now give me the strength to fight the Dark Spore poision that's already flowing through my veins. Please don't let me turn back into the Emperor."  
  
He sat there for a moment while his strength returned to him. Oh, what happened to the days when life was just the matter of Digivolving? Digimon fought evil Digimon, clear and simple. Of course, for Ken it never was that simple. Stupid Digimon Emperor... "Urg, curse the day I became emplanted with the Spore!"  
  
That day was a terrible day indeed. He'd never known pain before. He was sick for weaks with a fever so bad it made him delirious. Now that awful, gut-wrenching pain began to return. The Spore had changed his entire brain chemestry, giving him the ability to retain vast amounts of information and boosting his athletic abilities. He had focus, ambition, and confedience enough for about five people. But it didn't come without a price. As the Emperor it was no pain, no power. Many nights he'd laid awake as his mind swam with the burning poison. Every day he forgot more and more of his old self until he truely couldn't even remember his own name. But at the time he embraced it, welcomed it. Anything to escape his past. And it almost killed him. The very thought of that time frightened him terribly. If it wasn't for his friends... "Oh, no, my friends!"  
  
He tore out of there like his life depended on it.  
  
* * * *  
  
Meanwhile in the dungeon...  
  
Hey, hey, hidy-ho, the calvery has arrived!"  
  
"Oh, Veemon, my hero!" This is so his moment in the sun.  
  
He broke the chains binding Gatomon and Patamon to their pillars. How? Nobody knows. "Time to go rescue the Megadigidestined!"  
  
* * * *  
  
Now here's a nice little domestic picture: Garz and Chaos enjoying tea together. Kari was tied to a chair, they ignored her kicking and screaming.  
  
Sip. "Oh, Garzie, you slay me!"  
  
Garz grinned. "And so he turns to the guy and says, 'Give me the toaster or I'll eat you!'"  
  
"Oh, sheesh, that's rich!"  
  
POP! There was Daisuke, completely ticked off. He startled/frightened Garz so badly he tipped his tea onto the table. "Boss, uh, how'd it go?"  
  
He slammed his fist on the table and pointed at Chaos. "Quit falling down on the job, Chaos! Go grab your Digimon, it's time you got rid of the Megadigidestined!"  
  
She pointed at herself and laughed nervously, "Uh, a'ight. Right away, sir!"  
She trotted off.  
  
Daisuke took out his frustration by kicking Garz's chair out from under him. Then calmly sat down at the table and drank from Chaos's cup. He made a disgusted face, "You know, Kindness really cheeses me off."  
  
"How so, oh Great One?" Garz asked from under the table.  
  
"Sit up, you idiot."  
  
Garz picked his chair off the ground and sat in it, a blush and a goofy grin on his stolen face. "Sorry. Didn't know when you'd get back, so we, uh, made tea."  
  
Daisuke sighed, "He has the favor of the Powers now. There's little hope of turning him to our side. What a shame too, he would really enhance our kingdom."  
  
"That's too bad, but we can make it without him, right?"  
  
Nothing. Daisuke stared at him with an unreadable expression, the cup still pressed to his lips.  
  
"Right?"  
  
He sat the cup gently on the saucer with a clink, and closed his eyes in thought. A slight quiver could be heard in his voice as he spoke, "I don't know any more. I thought Light was the Key, but that seems a bit not right now. Kindness has the right spirit. He's seen true darkness and still managed to overcome it. That takes strength, not to mention the eye of the Powers That Be, eh? But he still has potential for darkness, as long as he carries my Dark Spore. It's artifical darkness, but darkness none the less. It can be used. If I can get at him again. He's found his Megadigidestined power, so now I can't touch him."  
  
He ran his finger around the edge of the cup with a dreamy look his his eyes, then took another slow sip.  
  
"You think I could get at him?"  
  
Daisuke glared at Garz from around the side of the china-print tea cup. It was a look that said, 'I'm not even going to bother responding to that one.'  
  
"So, uh, do we still want Light?"  
  
"Of course, she still has great energy. Besides you know darkness cannot exist without light. Like it or not, we need her if we are to even think about moving off this dead realm."  
  
"Oh, boy. That's bad."  
  
"You said it."  
  
They both turned to her and smiled wickedly. She swallowed hard.  
  
* * * *  
  
Ken kicked the doors open dramatically and announced, "I'm back, guys! Please stop killing each other!"  
  
"What do you mean?" Yolei asked, brushing her hair behind her ears.  
  
"Why would would we want to kill each other?" Cody asked calmly.  
  
Ken blinked in disbelief. They, along with Wormmon, Hawkmon, Armadillomon, Veemon, Gatomon and Patamon were all playing cards! "What happened? I thought..."  
  
"Well...I was choking him, and he wouldn't stop laughing at me, but then suddenly I stopped and remembered that...I loved him!"  
  
Both Cody and Ken winced, but she didn't notice. The Digimon sweatdropped.  
  
"So I quit," Yolei concluded, drawing a card off her deck and examining it carefully. She clutched it to her and squealed. Then she laid it down, pointed at Cody and laughed, "Devestation! Kill 'em all! I have no creatures!"  
  
Cody swept away all his cards. "Aw, man, there goes my strategy. Yeah, so anyway, Ken, life was just the funniest thing ever and suddenly I remembered I had responsibilities. So...We decided to play cards while we waited for you to return."  
  
"I couldn't do anything else, so you can just take that!" Yolei announced.  
  
"Now the game will go on forever!" Veemon complained, laying down his hand in exhasperation.  
  
Ken looked at Cody's hand and scratched his head. So they hadn't even missed him.  
  
Cody tossed his hand to the side and picked up his fighting staff. "And I concede. It's time to get back to business."  
  
"This really isn't the time for games anyway," Wormmon said.  
  
"Thanks," Ken whispered.  
  
"Well, now what?" Yolei asked.  
  
"This is the part where I destroy you all!" Chaos answered.  
  
The kids turned to see a sweet, clean-cut girl ridding atop of one of the most horrible Digimon they'd ever been up against.  
  
Ken gasped, a long forgotten memory flashing through his mind. "Kimeramon?"  
  
She patted the monster's head. "That's right, my baby!"  
  
"But we destroyed him!" Yolei whinned.  
  
Cody gripped his staff and closed his eyes. He muttered, "Digimon don't die, they just get reconfigured. Hmph, how ironic."  
  
"Great," Wormmon said with a shutter. The last time they were up against that Digimon, they only won because Wormmon sacraficed himself. But things were different now. "Come on, Ken, let's digivolve!"  
  
Ken had been shaking with fear, but at the confedent words of his partner, he grabbed his digivice. "Right! Go for it, buddy."  
  
All three of them held their digivices in the air and yelled, "Digivolve!"  
  
"Wormmon digivolve to..."  
"Hawkmon digivolve to..."  
"Armadillomon digivolve to..."  
  
"Stingmon!"  
"Aquilamon!"  
"Ankilomon!"  
  
Patamon sighed, "Too bad we don't have our parters. DNA digivolving would come in handy right about now."  
  
"Yeah," Gatomon and Veemon agreed.  
  
"How the heck do we fight that thing?" Yolei yelped as the three Champion Digimon lept into battle.  
  
"The eyes," Ken told her slowly, straining to remember something useful from his dark past. (That's never been easy for him. His memory of that time is fuzzy, controlled. More of the Dark Spore's doing.)  
  
"What?"  
  
His eyes glazed over slightly. He told her in a low, quiet tone, "It's only weakness is it's eyes. An energy blast to them would go directly to it's brain and pretty much kill it instantly."  
  
"Wow, how do you...?"  
  
"I created it, after all, I should know." He pointed at the giant Digimon and yelled fiercely, "Stingmon, gouge out it's eyes!"  
  
Everyone stared at him in disbelief. Chaos squealed and put her hand over her heart. "So that's the legendary Digimon Emperor. Oh, he's dreamy!"  
  
Stingmon took her moment of destraction to attack Kimeramon's eyes, and the battle was over in about ten seconds. The frightening evil Digimon went 'poof' and Chaos fell into Stingmon's arms. She shreiked and thrashed around.  
  
"That seemed way too easy, compaired to last time," Stingmon said. "Stop fighting me, little girl. I'm not going to hurt you."  
  
"Okay." Suddenly she was perfectly calm. He gently put her on the ground and stood over her so she wouldn't think about escaping.  
  
"This is perfect," Cody said, eyeing Chaos suspeciously. "Now we have a hostage. We use her to bargan with Keesma for Kari."  
  
"Don't count on it," Ken told him darkly.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"You don't know evil very well, do you Cody? That demon is not going to blink an eye when it comes to sacraficing one of it's own. He wouldn't care if we killed her right now. There are plenty more Dark Digidestined where this one came from, you can be sure."  
  
"Then what do we do with her?"  
  
"Don't you guys think you oughta tie me up, or something?"  
  
Cody sweatdropped. "That sounds like a plan to me. Hey, wait a minute, why are you trying to help us?"  
  
She waved, "Y'all's completely hopeless."  
  
"Gee, thanks," Yolei mumbled.  
  
Chaos cracked up with laughter, much the same way Cody had earlier. "You guys are HOPELESS! No more Hope! He's gone, all gone. Ha, that's a joke. I made a funny!"  
  
"Okay, that is by no means funny," Yolei growled, offically deciding she didn't like this girl.  
  
Five minutes later, she was tied to a chair and her nose was in the farthest corner of the room.  
  
* * * *  
  
"No! Those stupid kids actually won, I don't believe it!"  
  
"Woo-hoo! Yeah, they did it!" Kari danced around in a little circle.  
  
"No, no, no! She was out numbered. If the other Dark Digidestined were here they wouldn't stand a chance."  
  
"Now let TK and Davis go, like you promised."  
  
Daisuke pouted a little bit. "Uh, how 'bout no?"  
  
"But you promised!"  
  
"Since when did demons have to keep their promises? I'm the one with the advantage here, not you. Now, I'm not gonna kill you, but you can forget our little deal."  
  
Garz pointed at the door. "Well? Get out of here, before we change our minds."  
  
She left that room as quickly as possible.  
  
"'Before WE change OUR mindS?' Since when could you put yourself on the same level as me, Garzie?"  
  
"Sorry, Boss. I was just really mad."  
  
Daisuke patted the top of Garz's head. "That's okay. I forgive you. This time." He frowned. "But now what do we do?"  
  
  
  
What WILL be the demons' next move?  
  
Find out in Episode 8:  
"The Deciding Battle" 


	8. The Deciding Battle

A Bigger Threat  
Episode 8:  
"The Deciding Battle"  
  
By: Shmeilia  
  
  
* * * *  
  
Daisuke closed his eyes. "That's it, Garzie, I'm through playing with them. Send in my warriors."  
  
"Right away, SIR!"  
  
* * * *  
  
Kari burst into the Throne Room. Now, she didn't have to enter so dramatically, but as Ken found out, it was kinda fun. Every one of the Megadigidestined gasped. "You're back!"  
  
"They let me go!" She announced and jumped around in a little circle.  
  
"Kari!" Gatomon leaped into her arms.  
  
"Oh, I missed you, Gato."  
  
"I missed you too. We had a battle with Kimeramon, and I couldn't do anything! I felt so helpless."  
  
"I'm sorry. I wished I could have done something to help."  
  
"Aww!" Yolei clasped her hands together. "What a sweet reuion!"  
  
Even Cody couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, this is great."  
  
"I hate to rain on the fun here, guys, but something about that doesn't feel right."  
  
Cody frowned. "Lighten up, Ken. Something never feels right to you."  
  
"No. Why would they just let her go like that?"  
  
"We made a deal," Kari told him. Gatomon climbed ontop of her head and stared down at her with big kitty eyes. "If you guys won the battle, Keesma said she'd let TK and Davis go, and if you lost I had to give up my crest. You won, but she refused to let them go. She let me go instead."  
  
Cody's eyes went wide. "You were willing to bet your crest on us, Kari?"  
  
"I have faith in you guys."  
  
"B-But it was Kimeramon!"  
  
"You won, didn't you?"  
  
"True."  
  
"Doesn't anyone else feel that foreboding of approaching doom?" Ken was getting really nervous now. "Something's coming!"  
  
"We feel it too, Ken," Patamon said. "It's evil, and it means business."  
  
A chill suddenly ran through Kari. "You're right. Something's definately amiss here. And I don't think we have much time."  
  
"What are you guys talking about?" Yolei asked, extremely confused.  
  
"DEMONS!" Cody yelped, then clamped a hand over his mouth. Suddenly, from the walls and out of the floor came hundreds of demons. Cody smacked his forehead. Talking to the Powers, he complained, "Thanks for the warning on that one, guys. Really, we had loads of time to prepare."  
  
In seconds they were swarmed by the nasty demon underlings.  
  
Yolei shreiked as they pulled her dress and her hair. "Okay, now I really miss my helmet!"  
  
Hawkmon's mouth dropped open. "Don't worry, Yolei, I'll-" A demon tackled him. "Ugh! Come on, Yolei! Let's go!"  
  
Yolei grabbed her D-3, but one of the demons raked it out of her hand. It threw the Digivice across the room, and it hit the wall. It shattered into a thousand pieces. Everyone gasped. "No!"  
  
"Impossible!" Ken had had a theroy that the Digivices were indestructable. So much for that.  
  
"What do we do now?" Yolei would have been crying if she wasn't fighting off the demon horde.  
  
"Wormmon, buddy, you ready?" Ken reached for his D-3, but discovered it missing. "Ah, crap! Where'd it go?"  
  
One of the nasty things had pick-pocketed it. It laughed minacally and swallowed it. Ken glared like he wanted to reach down the demon's throat for it, but he wasn't that desprate. Well, okay, he was, but he couldn't get to it. It slipped away into the crowd.  
  
"Hurry, Kari, Digivolve!" Gatomon cried.  
  
CRUNCH! Too late!  
  
"Oh, that does it," Kari growled and blasted away about a dozen of the disgusting creatures with her pink laser.  
  
Cody was the only one who still had his D-3, and that was because he was the only one who actually managed to fight the demons off. Those years of Kendo finally paid off. He whacked one of the bigger ones on the head, right between the eyes and it went poof. But it didn't seem to matter, as soon as it was gone, another replaced it. "Go, Armadillomon!"  
  
"Right! Armadillomon digivolve to Ankylomon!"  
  
"A little help, please?" Veemon shreiked as the demons surrounded him. Patamon had wings, so he just flew away. That was totally not fair.  
  
"Don't get your ears all in a twist," Ankylomon said, picking him up. He placed Veemon on top of his head, then stomped on the demons that had surrounded Veemon. "I got ya."  
  
Veemon sighed, "Thank you!"  
  
About ten demons tackled Yolei from behind, and she toppled over. They covered her like a pride of lions after a kill.  
  
"Yolei!" Cody yelled, his eyes frantic. But he was too far from her to do anything about it.  
  
Ken, however, was right next to her. He smacked several of the demons off of her. "Are you all right?" He had to yell over the noise of the little monsters. He reached out and took her hand. Their eyes met.  
  
A light flooded the room, and most of the demons screamed. In a flash, both Hawkmon and Wormmon digivolved to their Champion forms-even though it was supposed to be impossible without their Digivices-and then DNA Digivolved into "Quellermon", a Digimon with spikes, green armor, two sets of wings (one set from Stingmon and one set from Aquillamon), and twisted horns coming out of its head.  
  
"Wow," Ken and Yolei said in the same awed tone. They both hopped to their feet, closed their eyes, and clasped hands. The time was right, now. "Morph Digivolve!"  
  
Yolei suddenly went limp, like she'd fainted. Ken made sure she didn't injure herself as she fell to the ground. At the same time, Quellermon broke up into a trillion pieces that fell over Ken like confetti.  
  
Then the voices came, screaming, to the surface of his mind. They wanted control of his body, and he wasn't going to let them have it. He fell to his knees and put his hands over his ears like that would block them out.  
  
Ankylomon picked Cody up and bounded over to protect Ken and Yolei in their vunerable states.  
  
"What's wrong, Ken?" Cody asked, dropping to the ground next to him.  
  
"The voices," he whispered. "They...It's too much! I can't take it!"  
  
* * * *  
  
Izzy: And now, as if the announcer-guy at the end wasn't bad enough, it's time for a commercial break!  
  
Matt: Life for the Digidestined never was easy.  
Tai: Yeah, being constantly attacked by evil Digimon, Control-Spire Digimon...  
Izzy: Dealing with Black Gears, Dark Rings, Dark Spores...  
Matt (shakes camera): So how could it possibly get any worse?!  
Izzy: Oh, but it does!  
Tai: Who would ever thought that the Digital World would be invaded by demons?  
Matt: I feel sorry for the poor Megadigidestined.  
Izzy: I'm just glad that's not us!  
Matt and Tai: Izzy!  
*Whack*  
Izzy (rubs the side of his head): Sor-ry! Now back to the program.  
  
* * * *  
  
"The Powers wouldn't have chosen you to do this if they didn't think you could handle it."  
  
Ken shook his head. "No! I can't! They're too strong!"  
  
Cody didn't know what to do. Talking about things never had been easy for him. He took a deep breath and prayed that he could say the right thing. "They're your friends. You know, Yolei? Hawkmon? Wormmon? They don't want to hurt you, or control you. They just want to help."  
  
"Help?"  
  
"They're only doing this because you're fighting them. Calm down, Ken, and they will stop."  
  
"I can't!" Ken was shaking with the effort of fighting them back in his mind.  
  
"Yes, you can! Just accept them."  
  
There was a pause. He let his mind go, and let the others have control. Their minds merged with his, along with their memories and powers. His eyes popped open, glowing with an intense blue-green light. Quellermon's armor replaced his Megadigidestined armor. He stood up slowly and looked around the situation with a new perspective.  
  
"What just happened?" Kari asked, blasting a path through the demons and trotting over to stand next to Cody.  
  
"I'm not totally sure," Cody admitted.  
  
Ken simply told them, "Stand back."  
  
They backed into the nearest corner of the room.  
  
Immediately, all the demons attacked Ken. He held out his hand, and a very large bubble of golden energy surrounded him. The demons at the front of the swarm ran into it and disappeared, instantly dead. With a wave, the sheild exploded and destroyed all the demons in the room. He turned to Cody and Kari and said, "I will bring TK and Davis back. You stay here."  
  
They nodded nervously.  
  
Stingmon's wings suddenly sprouted from his back and he flew across the room. When he reached the door, the energy sheild blasted it to microscopic pieces.  
  
After he'd left, Cody let out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad I don't have to do that. I'm not sure I could handle it."  
  
"Oh, sure you could, Cody," Ankylomon told him.  
  
"Thanks for the vote of confedence."  
  
"Well," Kari said, plopping down on the ground. "It's all up to him now."  
  
Cody walked over to Yolei's lifeless body and gathered her into his arms. He carried her back over to where Kari was sitting.  
  
"Is she dead?"  
  
He ran his fingers gently through Yolei's lavender hair. "No, she's still breathing. But she's not in there any more, if that's what you mean."  
  
"I'm afraid I don't quite understand."  
  
Cody smiled weakly. "She's helping Ken and Quellermon by giving them her strength. This is just a shell. A demon could come along any minute now and take her body as it's own, but I won't let that happen."  
  
* * * *  
  
"What happened to my army?" Daisuke roared. "They just dropped off the face of the universe!"  
  
"Shall I check it out, Master?" Garz asked.  
  
"Go."  
  
Garz left. Daisuke paced around the room, muttering to himself about those stupid, goody-goody Megadigidestined. Then he stopped, sensing a great energy close by. He teleported out of the room.  
  
* * * *  
  
Garz stepped inside the Throne Room and examined the door frame. "What happened here?"  
  
"You!" Kari hissed.  
  
"You," he responded with a mocking laugh. "Were you the one who wiped part of my master's army off the map?"  
  
Kari crossed her arms and turned up her nose at him. "I'm not saying anything."  
  
"Weren't, huh?"  
  
"What do you want?" Cody demanded, leaping to his feet and grabbing his fighting staff.  
  
"I don't want anything, except maybe to play with Light. What's it to you, little boy?"  
  
"Don't call me that!"  
  
"What? Little boy?"  
  
Cody growled in frustration, "I am not a kid any more, okay? Why doesn't anybody get that?!"  
  
"Woo-hoo, I'm so scared," Garz waved his hands in mock-surrender. "Please, I have shoes that are older than you!"  
  
Cody'd had enough, and charged at Garz. Garz didn't actually believe Cody would attack him, so it came as quite when Cody whacked him on the side of the head. Garz fell over, stunned. Cody stood over him and tapped him with his staff. "Don't make me do that again."  
  
Garz snapped out of his daze and kicked Cody across the room. "You underestimate me, kid."  
  
Cody hit the floor, rolled, and bounced back to his feet. He'd landed on his shoulder, and it hurt like heck, but he wouldn't let it show.  
  
Garz waltzed calmly over to Cody and shoved him against the wall. "Give up now, kid, before I have to get serious with you."  
  
"You know what your problem is?"  
  
"What?"  
  
Cody looked beyond him. "You're evil. And evil doesn't have any friends."  
  
Garz laughed scornfully, "What do I need friends for, when I have power?"  
  
Just then, Ankylomon picked him up by his cape. He flailed around hopelessly. It was Ankylomon's turn to laugh at Garz, "It's always nice to have friends."  
  
Five minutes later, Garz was also tied to a chair and stuck in the corner with Chaos.  
  
* * * *  
  
"Oh, my...Did you lose a fight with a blender, or is it just my imagination?"  
  
"Let Davis and TK go." Three other voices echoed behind Ken's, giving an impressive, but desturbing impression of the power backing him up.  
  
Daisuke snorted, "And do what with them? Their bodies are currently inhabited at the moment." He tried to get closer to Ken, but smacked into the now invisible energy bubble. He cursed the day, and growled, "Why hide behind that sheild? Why don't you fight me for their souls, if you want them back so much?"  
  
Ken tilted his head, thinking over all the possiblities and consequences. Already his super-mind was about twenty steps ahead. He lowered the sheild. "Fine."  
  
Daisuke blasted him with dark energy that knocked him off his feet. He used his new wings and just floated there.  
  
"Cute trick," Daisuke said, and charged another ball of dark energy. At the same time, Ken charged some of his abundant golden energy. They both fired and the two blasts collided. A giant explosion of light ignighted and then quickly snuffed itself out. Daisuke then decided not to try that trick again and charged at him. Ken tried a spinning kick aimed at his head, but Daisuke caught his foot and yanked him to the floor. They matched each other in physical ability and skill, and neither one could do much harm to the other.  
  
"Wait," Ken held up his hand, and Daisuke stopped. Ken reached inside of him and drew out a glowing sphere about the size of a basketball. (Now how it got inside of Daisuke, and how Ken knew it was there, I don't know.) "This does not belong to you."  
  
"My Power-Orb!" Daisuke shreiked. The Orb had been keeping him strong, but now that it was gone, he felt as weak as a kitten again.  
  
"No, not yours," Ken corrected, powering it up. Before Daisuke realized what he was about to do, Ken fired it at him. Now remember that the Power-Orb can create or destroy entire worlds, so that blast easily over-took the demon.  
  
"I'll fry you for this, Kindness," were Daisuke's final words before Keesma was forced from Davis's body. Davis fell to his knees, and his clothes faded back to his Real World clothes. Besides Keesma, two crests popped out of his back. One immediately leaped back inside of him, but the other one hovered over him, confused. Before Keesma could recover enough to re-possess Davis, Ken wrapped part of the golden chain around his neck and sealed it into a necklace.  
  
Ken absorbed the Power Orb, then took the other crest and teleported to the Throne Room.  
  
"Oh, back so soon?" Garz mumbled.  
  
"Leave."  
  
"What? You want me to leave this body? No way! You can't make me!"  
  
"I won't," Ken responded, opening his hand. The crest of Hope flew quickly back to its body, forcing Garz (who wasn't even a fraction as strong as Keesma) out in a blast of golden light. Little Garz jumped from TK's body and dived into the floor. Ken left again.  
  
TK blinked a few times. "Why am I tied to a chair?"  
  
Kari leaped over to him and begun undoing the knots that bound him to the chair. "You were possessed, and we had to keep the demon under control."  
  
Ken returned carrying Davis, who was asleep. He laid the sleeping boy on the ground and told the group, "Someone else will have to carry him back to the castle."  
  
"That's okay," Cody said, knowing what he meant.  
  
Just then, the voices, along with the last of Ken's energy left him. The armor faded, the wings disappeared, and he collapsed, unconcious.  
  
Cody rubbed his hands together, "Well, who wants to help me carry these three to Light Castle?"  
  
"I think I can carry myself, Cody," Yolei said, rubbing her neck.  
  
"Oh, good, you're awake."  
  
"I'll carry Ken," TK volunteered.  
  
"Are you sure you're strong enough for it, TK?" Kari asked.  
  
Now Kari was just concerned, but that question didn't sit right with him. "I'll be fine."  
  
Yolei stared at Ken and shuddered. She now shared all his memories, from his brother's death to Ken's experience as the Digimon Emperor. It seemed so weird seeing herself from someone else's perspective, and now she knew just how much he still loved her. Everything was so vivid, it was almost like she had become Ken for a moment. In a way she had, during the battle their minds were one. But it wasn't just Ken's memories she'd shared, she'd also combined with Hawkmon and Wormmon. Oh, how Hawkmon cared about her. Now he was gone, but she could still feel him in her heart. He would always be there, in case she needed him.  
  
"Are you okay, Yolei?" Cody asked.  
  
She snapped out of her thoughts and smiled weakly, "I'm fine, thanks." Her voice sounded weak and uneasy, even to herself. "So what do we do now? Is it all over?"  
  
Cody picked Davis up. "Unfortunately, this is not the end. There's a long journey head and our quest has just begun. Let's get outta here."  
  
And they left.  
  
"I get the weirdest feeling like we're forgetting something," Kari commented as they left the castle.  
  
"But what about me?" Poor Chaos. They'd just left her there, tied to a chair!  
  
She felt the ropes loosen, until she could wiggle free. "My dear servant, I hope they didn't hurt you."  
  
Chaos dropped to the floor. "Oh, Master!"  
  
Keesma, though still incredibly weak, managed to project her human form. It was transparent and ghost-like, but that didn't matter. She lifted Chaos's chin, so the young girl had to look at her. She whispered in a smooth voice, "I need you, Amy."  
  
Chaos gasped. Her Master had just called her by her real name! She gulped and studdered, "W-whatever you need, Master, just ask! I will be happy to fulfill your wishes."  
  
"Would you lend me your body?"  
  
Chaos's bright emerald eyes lit up. "It would be an honor! Take me!"  
  
Keesma ran her long fingers through her feathery purple hair and muttered to herself, "Boy, that was almost too easy. I didn't think she'd give in so easily."  
  
"Why not, My Leige?"  
  
"Oh, never mind."  
  
Chaos crawled closer to Keesma, "My I ask you something, before you possess me?" Then, before Keesma could respond, "Why me?"  
  
Now, Keesma didn't want to admitt the truth: She didn't have anyone else. Her Dark Digidestined were milling around somewhere in the Real World, and Chaos was the only one who'd actually showed up. No, she wouldn't tell the darling girl that. "Well, if you must know...If things had turned out differently, you and Davis would have met a year from now, fallen in love, and eventually gotten married and had children. Wether he realizes it or not, you should have been his soul-mate."  
  
Chaos blushed at the idea of knowing who her soul-mate was, but then wrinkled her nose in disgust. "But I didn't even like him!"  
  
"I know. I said, 'if things had turned out differently'. Now you're my servant and you don't need him any more."  
  
"Oh! Okay!" She laid down on the ground and wiggled around like she was making snow angels. "Take me, Master!"  
  
  
What is the next step in the journey for the Megadigidestined?  
  
Find out in Episode 9:  
"The Return of Davis" 


	9. The Return of Davis

A Bigger Threat  
Episode 9:  
"The Return of Davis"  
  
By: Shmeilia  
  
  
"Okay, I don't get something," Yolei complained. "When Ken 'Digivolved', the gate to the Digital World opened back up. When Cody 'Digivolved', the buildings and rodes came back. With TK, the plants came back. With Kari, the sky cleared up. How come when I 'Digivolved', NOTHING HAPPENED?!"  
  
Cody sighed and shifted Davis a little so he wouldn't drop him. "Oh, it did. You just don't know what it was."  
  
"Well, Mr. I-Know-Everything, what was it?"  
  
Cody opened his mouth to respond, but then snapped it shut again. "I haven't the slightest clue. Sorry."  
  
Yolei slapped her forehead. Kari tried not to laugh.  
  
"Hey, guys, can we take a break?"  
  
"Sure, TK," Cody needed a break too, but being the leader, he couldn't admitt it. He laid Davis not-so-gently on the ground and collasped on a rock next to TK. The extra weight was killing them.  
  
The two girls sat across from them on their own rocks. Yolei's stomach gurggled and she sweatdropped, "Sorry! I could really go for a Veggie Burger right about now."  
  
"Oh, I know what you mean," Kari agreed, "I need some cheesecake!"  
  
"A baked potato with mustard," TK daydreamed.  
  
"Gogert," Cody added with a sigh.  
  
"Gogert?" Everyone asked, eyeing him strangely.  
  
Cody snapped out of his daze, "You guys haven't heard of Gogert? It's an American snack."  
  
"What IS it?" Kari asked.  
  
"It's the go-anywhere snack! Drinkable yogert! No need for a spoon!" Cody said in his best announcer voice. Then he added, "And for a real treat, just pop it in the freezer."  
  
"Right," Yolei laughed, "Don't quit your day-job, Cody."  
  
Somewhere far away, Davis heard voices. It seemed like he was sitting at the bottom of a dark pool, and they were all above the surface, in the sunlight. Already, he could feel the pain his body was in, and he didn't want to deal with it. If only he could go back to thoughtless sleep, but that wasn't possible. No turning back now...  
  
Slowly, Davis stirred. He groaned, and the sound of his own voice seemed alien to him. He opened his eyes to see Cody and Yolei standing over him, smiling. He stared at them blankly, trying desprately to remember who they were.  
  
"How are you feeling?" Cody asked.  
  
Suddenly, his memories rushed back to him with the speed of an on-coming truck. He covered his ears, "No!"  
  
"No?" Yolei asked. "He asked how you were feeling, and that's not a yes-or-no quest-"  
  
"Oh, what have I done?" He lept to his feet and took off.  
  
"Okay, what the heck was that about?" TK asked after the following shocked pause.  
  
"I better go get him, before he tries something desprate," Cody said to himself. He grabbed his fighting staff and trotted off after Davis.  
  
Yolei watched after them, a worried look on her face.  
  
Davis had no idea where he was going, but he ran as fast as his exhausted body could go. He hadn't eatten in days, and Keesma took full advantage of him without worrying about the consequences. After all, she didn't feel the pain, the exhaustion. He did. Every fiber of his body ached, but not as much as his soul. He now operated on the lesser of his two crests, and it was so weak. He felt like he would collapse any minute, but he didn't care. He'd surrendered part of his soul to the Queen of the Demons, now he could never be forgiven. He'd never forgive himself. He came to a cliff, and stopped. Tears ran down his face. He would do what he should have done when Keesma tortured him-He would die now. In his heart he knew it wouldn't solve anything. He knew where it would land him, but even an eternity in Hell wouldn't make up for his crime. He looked up at the star-filled sky, then down at the bottomless canyon. He closed his eyes, whispered, "Sorry," and fell over the edge in what felt like slow motion.  
  
"Oh, no you don't," a voice called. A hand caught his foot at the last second and he slammed against the rock. Someone hauled him back onto solid ground.  
  
"Why did you do that?" He shreiked, pushing the person away from him.  
  
"I won't let anyone take their own life," Cody answered, out of breath.  
  
Davis shamefully whiped the tears from his eyes. "Why won't you just let me die?"  
  
"Don't talk like that. You've still got your whole life ahead of you!"  
  
Davis could only look up at him with pain-filled eyes. He couldn't respond, but he knew in his soul that the rest of his life would be a living nightmare. And he only had himself to blame.  
  
Cody grabbed his arm and led him back to the others. Davis didn't resist, because he knew he desrved this humilliation. It was his punishment. He retreated to the back of his mind, detaching himself temporarily from the pain of guilt.  
  
"Oh, good, you brought him back!" Yolei was happy that Davis was okay. "Why'd you run off like that, Davis?"  
  
Words. Those were just words, they had no meaning to him. He stared blankly at her. She might as well have asked him in Latin.  
  
"What happened?" She asked Cody instead.  
  
"He tried to commit suicide."  
  
"Why?" She gasped.  
  
"I don't deserve to live, I'm a monster," Davis responded dully, not even needing to think about it.  
  
"It's not your fault, Davis," she told him. "You were possessed."  
  
"But, I..." Emotion surged up within him like a tidal wave. "I let her possess me! Don't you understand? I WANTED it! And THAT'S why I need to die."  
  
Silence. Davis closed his eyes to block out their hot stares, but he could feel them anyway. He could feel himself blushing from shame. He fell to the ground, exhaustion suddenly hitting him with full force.  
  
"Get up," TK commanded, kicking him.  
  
Sleep, he needed sleep. "I can't. Leave me here."  
  
"We're not leaving you. Now, get UP!"  
  
Somehow, only by sheer will power, he managed to climb to his feet and follow the group.  
  
After a while, Cody herded him to the front of the pack. "No offence, but I don't want you running away again."  
  
Since he spent all his energy just trying to keep up, he didn't complain.  
  
Cody and TK took turns carrying Ken. At least Ken had earned his rest, although Davis couldn't remember how. He didn't want to know what had happened while SHE had control.  
  
After several more hours of silence, they arrived at Light Castle.  
  
Michael and Willis eyed them suspeciously. "You cannot come in."  
  
"Why not?" Yolei whined.  
  
"One of you does not have good intentions."  
  
"What? Who?"  
  
They pointed their sickles at Davis. "He wants to end his life, and we cannot let that happen."  
  
Davis stared at the ground. Hatred gnawed at his insides. Hatred only for himself. He tried to snuff out his own soul, like when someone 'dies of grief'. It wasn't working.  
  
"Oh, please let us in!" Yolei begged, "We need sanctuary!"  
  
The two Freedom Sprits looked at each other, communicating telepathically. "Tie him up, otherwise he WILL find a way to kill himself. Murder will not be tolerated within these walls."  
  
They handed Cody a golden rope. He took it with great pain and led Davis through the doors. Davis put up no resistence, even when they tied him to a bed in a secluded part of the castle. TK and Kari wouldn't even stand in the same room as him, and he didn't blame him. He remembered what he'd done to them all too clearly.  
  
"Are you okay, Davis?" Yolei asked in her sweet way.  
  
He didn't respond.  
  
"If you need anything..."  
  
"Yeah, I need you to kill me."  
  
Her eyes went wide. "I can't do that."  
  
"Then leave me alone."  
  
She stared at him for a moment, not understanding his pain at all.  
  
"Come on, Yolei, he wants some time alone."  
  
"But Cody..."  
  
"Go on!" Davis yelled, "Why don't you two just leave?"  
  
So they left, and the silence settled in.  
  
* * * *  
  
*Author's note: This is the first appearance of the Dark Digidestined, and I just wanted to tell my readers about one small neglected detail: Darkness looks a lot like Sam. More specifically, he looks JUST like the CardCaptors character Eli (Yes, Sheila calls them by their american names.) a.k.a. Eriol. I already had a picture of Darkness in my mind before I ever saw Eli, so I found it really disturbing to see my guy playing some other show's character. Also note that the guy they got to play Eli in the American version sounds almost exactly like Darkness. How weird is that?*  
  
  
  
"Fear, Lust, Apathy, Hate, Darkness, get your sorry butts into the Digital World right now! If do not then I will make every one of your Dark Spores grow into Dark Trees! I, your master, Keesma, command you!"  
  
"Chaos? I thought she called in sick today."  
  
Darkness finished his shake and tossed it over his shoulder. It whacked a sixth-grader on the head, bounced off and landed in the trash can. The Dark Digidestined were just finishing lunch, for Pete's sake! "That is not Chaos."  
  
"Yeah," Fear agreed, "That's our Master! Come on, before she adds some new decorations to the court yard."  
  
They disappeared in a cloud of black smoke, much to the surprise of the other kids eatting lunch in the cafeteria that day.  
  
* * * *  
  
COMMERCIAL BREAK!  
  
Izzy: Now here's something you don't see every day...  
(Ken's beating up the Digimon Emperor.)  
What's wrong with this picture? This is just one very bad example of how weird life is for the Megadigidestined.  
  
(Ken's still beating the Emperor)  
  
Izzy: Oh, boy.  
  
The Emperor looks over the top of his glasses at Ken. "Lookin' good."  
  
Izzy: See what I mean? Anyway, now back to the show.  
  
* * * *  
  
Davis was dreaming, and he knew it, but that didn't make it seem any less real. Keesma floated just inches him, staring and smiling. He laid there, frozen with an overwhelming fear.  
  
"Miss me?" She asked.  
  
"Why don't you leave me alone?"  
  
She fluffed his messy hair. "Oh, you know you still want me. I have your crest. It misses you."  
  
He started to say something nasty, but before he could she kissed him. He was tied to the bed, so he really couldn't resist, but he didn't want to. The contact connected him momentarily to that lost part of his soul, and the pain dulled.   
  
"Hmm, what a good boy," she told him.  
  
"You're a horrible creature, you know that?"  
  
"Thank you, I live off your compliments."  
  
"Why'd you make me do all those terrible things?"  
  
She snapped his goggles, "Hey, you did 'em. You've wanted to do such things for a very long time, and I just provided the means for it. Blame me all you want, but it's all your own fault."  
  
"But Kari...I never wanted to hurt her."  
  
"Aw, did you think you were in love with her? You wanted to own her, and that in itself is evil. It was just a tiny step to abuse. Remember that well."  
  
"I did, no, I do love her!"  
  
In the blink of an eye, they were on the top of the castle. "She never loved you, Davis."  
  
TK and Kari stood in the corner of the roof, overlooking the entire Digital World. He had his arms around her, and she couldn't look any happier.  
  
"I thought I'd lost you, TK."  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause you pain."  
  
She turned to look into his sky-blue eyes. "But YOU didn't do anything."  
  
"What that demon did with my body..." He trailed off and frowned. "This is all Davis's fault. The ambitious little-"  
  
She put her finger to his lips and whispered, "Let's not think about him, all right?"  
  
"But when I think about what he could have done to you..."  
  
Davis looked away, ashamed.  
  
"No," she stopped him. "I'm fine. You're okay too. So let's just forget Davis."  
  
Then he kissed her. Keesma pushed Davis closer so he had to watch. Watching them felt like swallowing a sharp knife. She never would love him.  
  
"Enough!" Davis turned to run away, but there they were again.  
  
Keesma laughed her evil laugh, "You can't escape this, Davis. Not until you except it."  
  
"No!" He woke up. Stared at the blank ceiling and cried himself back to sleep. He slept dreamlessly until he couldn't sleep any more. For who knows how long, he alternated between a state of overwhelming self-hatred where he trashed about trying to get loose, and moments of complete emptiness. Panic. Nothing. Rage. Nothing.   
  
Nothing. The hope was gone.  
  
* * * *  
  
"I feel so lost, I don't have a clue what I'm doing."  
  
"You just need to trust in the Powers," Wormmon told him. Ken was dreaming.  
  
"But why did they charge ME with this? It's not like I deserve it."  
  
"Does anyone, really? Is anyone perfect?"  
  
"No, I guess not." Ken looked away, frustrated. He gazed up at the pink clouds drifting lazily across the orange sky. Everything was covered in a sweet, warm haze. Perfectly peaceful. It would be easy to stay there forever, but that wasn't possible and he knew it. At least not right now. He sighed heavily and looked at his partner. Wormmon didn't say a thing, but looked up at him with loving eyes. "I don't even deserve you as a friend."  
  
"Don't say that."  
  
"I don't deserve any of the blessings in my life. Not after the awful things I've done."  
  
Wormmon scooted closer, and took Ken's hands. "Are you sorry?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
He smiled with his eyes, "Then stop worring about it, Ken. You're sorry, and you've been forgiven. Dwelling on it won't make it any better. Just know that you've learned from your mistakes, and let it go."  
  
Ken gave his Digimon a hug. "Thanks, buddy."  
  
"That's what I'm here for. If you ever need to talk again, you know where to find me."  
  
"Uh-oh, that sounds like good-bye to me."  
  
"You're needed in the Waking World, Ken. Davis..."  
  
POP! He woke up. "Davis!"  
  
"What?" Came the hopeless reply.  
  
Ken toppled out of his bed and turned to the one next to him. To his horror, he discovered someone had TIED DAVIS TO THE BED AND JUST LEFT HIM THERE! Immediately, he started untying the knots.  
  
"Stop," Davis commanded weakly.  
  
"What?"  
  
"If you don't want me committing suicide, I suggest you leave me the way I am."  
  
Ken stepped back and looked at the state of his best human friend. It seemed as though Davis were withering away. He looked like he'd lost a lot of weight, and he was bleeding everywhere the ropes touched his skin, like he'd been thrashing against them. Ken took a deep breath, ran his hands through his blue hair and resumed working on those knots. Davis stared at his with confusion in his screaming eyes. He told Davis, "As long as I'm with you, I won't let you kill yourself."  
  
If it had been anyone else, Davis would have ran away and hid, but he couldn't. Ken was the only one who knew what Davis was going through. He stretched, stood up shakily, and toppled over into the arms of his best friend. Ken made him sit on the bed. "Thanks. I've been tied up for days."  
  
Ken couldn't help noticing how weak and hopeless Davis sounded. Indeed, he knew that tone too well. He also knew the only way Davis would get through this was with time and a really, really good friend. The tides had turned. He told Davis, "Don't worry, you're not alone."  
  
Davis rubbed his eyes. "I want to argue with you, but I know you're right. We ought to start a 'Been Evil and Now Hate Ourselves' Club."  
  
This got a little smile from Ken, but he wasn't fooled by Davis's act. "I won't leave you, and I definately won't let you kill yourself. In a couple of days, that feeling will start to go away, and you'll be glad I stopped you."  
  
"No offence intended, but how did you live with yourself, knowing the awful things you did?"  
  
He thought about that for a moment. "Well, lucky for me, my memory started to go fuzzy. Eventually, I had completely forgotten that I'd been the Emperor. I repressed my own memory of it, it was so horrible. Even today, I still can't remember a lot of it."  
  
"I don't think that will happen to me," Davis said, squeezing his eyes shut. "It's all too fresh in my mind. I wish I could, though."  
  
"Nah, it's probably best that you don't forget."  
  
Davis looked at him like he'd declaired himself a Digimon.  
  
"Hey, I'm serious. Trials make us better people. They...They define who we are, and as much as I hate to admitt it, I'm glad I went though my 'evil phase'. If I hadn't then I'd probably be pretty boring. I'd have no personality, I can promise you that. Besides, I got over it, and now I have a personal grudge against evil."  
  
"I'm not sure I believe you on that one, Ken, but you're normally right about everything, so I'll just take your word for it." Davis absent-mindedly ran his fingers through his hair and came across his goggles. He took off and stared at them.  
  
"I'm not right about EVERYTHING. But I do know exactly what your going through. It's all too fresh right now for you to understand. In a few years, you'll know."  
  
"A few YEARS! Will it really take that long?"  
  
"You'll never really get over it. Something that trumatic will stay with you forever."  
  
Davis groaned and fell back on the bed. He held his goggles over him, and they cast a blue light on his weary face. "I guess I should pass these to the new leader. Ya know, go with the tradition."  
  
"Cody wouldn't wear them. It's not his style. He's trying to stay humble."  
  
Davis frowned at him, "What are you saying?"  
  
Ken waved his arms frantically, "Nothing! Sorry that came out wrong. See, I still make mistakes! I'm not as perfect as I think people try to make me out to be."  
  
"Well, I don't deserve them anymore, so, uh, do you want them?"  
  
"Are you kidding?" He snapped them on, "Does this go with my hair? I don't think so!"  
  
Indeed, they stuck out sorely under his shoulder-length hair, giving him the appearance of having a mane. That comical look clashed dearly with his solem grey school uniform.  
  
Davis snorted as he repressed a laugh, and Ken knew he hadn't lost him yet. He handed them back, "Keep them, even if you don't wear them. Who knows, maybe you'll give 'em to one of your kids or something, someday."  
  
"Yeah, right. Like I'm going to have kids. I'd feel sorry for them, having a jerk like me for a father."  
  
Ken sighed. This was going to take a long time. But then again, this was all too familiar...  
  
*Flashback*  
  
Ken was walking home from school, so many things reeling in his head. School didn't matter that much anymore. Nothing mattered much any more. He'd given up, and gotten the first bad score on a test in years. The whole student body was in an uproar, but he wished they'd just forget he existed. Fame is a hard thing to run away from.  
  
The sun set rapidly, and his long shadow fell across a pair of feet. Startled out of his thoughts, Ken looked up.  
  
"Hey! Need to talk?"  
  
Ken turned away from him, towards the river. "What do you want, Davis? Have you come to remind me that I've been a bad boy?"  
  
"Come on, Ken, you're not evil."  
  
"I'm not?"  
  
"No. You're not."  
  
"How would you know? What makes YOU so special?"  
  
Davis held out his hands in surrender, "Hey, I'm not claiming to be special. I just know you're better than you think you are. After all, you're one of us Digidestined, so you can't be all bad."  
  
This was new news to Ken. He eyed Davis carefully, "Me? A Digidestined?"  
  
Davis just smiled. He knew silence spoke volumes, especially right about now.  
  
"Thanks, Davis, but I'm just not interested." Ken started back down the path, half expecting Davis to come running after him. He didn't.  
  
"Don't turn your back on us!"  
  
Wether he realized it or not at that time, what Davis had done left a lasting impression on his mind. The others still thought he was the evil Digimon Emperor, but Davis knew better. He tried to make friends with Ken. That took a lot of guts. And it meant the world to him.  
  
*End Flashback*  
  
"Come on, let's get something to eat."  
  
Davis groaned, and stood up shakily. "Oh, all right, fine."  
  
They wandered around until they found a small kitchen. It seemed a little out of place in the grand castle.   
  
Ken looked in the fridge, then stopped. "You know, I think I should tell the others that we're up."  
  
"Not that they care, or anything."  
  
"Will you be all right, Davis? While I go find them?"  
  
"Yeah, sure."  
  
Ken left, and after a pause Davis started searching for a knife. He hated himself as much as ever, and he was bound and determined to murder himself. He found a particularly evil looking knife with a wicked curving blade. He gripped it by the handle, aimed it at his heart and closed his eyes. He held it at arm's length for what seemed like an hour, trying to gather the courage to stab himself with it. Finally, he lowered it. He just couldn't bring himself to do it. He stared at his distorted reflection on the silvery polished surface. Man, he looked as bad as he felt. Oh, well, if he couldn't commit suicide, he'd at least punish himself. He closed his right hand around the blade and squeezed as hard as he could. He barely even felt the pain, and watched in awe as the blood trickled onto the floor in a steady stream.  
  
"Hey, Davis, look who I found!" Oh, no. It was Ken. Davis dropped the knife just before Ken rounded the corner, followed by Veemon. They both just stood there staring with their mouths open. "What happened?"  
  
Davis looked at his hand and said scornfully, "You should have known better than to leave me alone in such a dangerous place."  
  
After Ken recovered from the shock, he picked up the knife and sliced his own hand.  
  
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"  
  
"I cut myself for a short time, too, you know." Ken gripped Davis's wounded hand with his own and let their blood combine as it dripped onto the floor. Veemon continued to stare with his mouth open, making little squeaking noises. "Davis, you and I are like brothers now. You don't have to be alone anymore."  
  
Davis blushed, finally understanding.  
  
An explosion of light burst from their hands, throwing them in different directions.  
  
"What the heck was that?" Davis asked, rubbing his head with his good hand.  
  
"Are you okay?" Veemon asked, looking at both of them in concern.  
  
Ken sat up and stared at Davis for a few moments before saying, "I think that was your Megadigidestined transformation."  
  
Davis looked down at his normal clothes. "Where's my armor?"  
  
"The armor is, uh, turned off inside the castle. You'll have to wait until we're outside to see it."  
  
"Oh," After a short pause, "Thanks, Ken."  
  
Ken smiled, "That's what I'm here for."  
  
* * * *  
  
"Honestly, I don't know what you two were thinking!" Yolei uncorked the bottle of pearly green liquid that hung around her neck and poured it over Davis's hand. Immediately, the wound was washed away, leaving a scar in the shape of the Crest of Friendship. "Wow, this stuff really does work wonders!"  
  
Davis smiled at Ken, who shook his head as Yolei turned to him. "And you. YOU! Ken, of all people, I thought you would have known better. But I guess I was wrong. Humph!" She fixed his hand, then held the bottle up to her eyes. It looked just as full as it had before.  
  
Ken looked at his hand and saw that he too had a Crest-shaped scar. He held it up for Davis to see. Davis blushed again and clasped hands with Ken. No one was watching.  
  
"Well, guys, what do we do now?" Davis asked timidly, after the moment was over.  
  
"We wait," Cody told him.  
  
"I hate waiting!" Yolei declaired with a frustrated growl.  
  
"Yes, I know."  
  
"You know, I wish the older Digidestined were here," Ken said, looking at his hand.  
  
POOF!  
  
  
What is to become of the Digidestined now?  
And what was that big 'poof' for?  
  
Find out in the next episode of Digimon: A Bigger Threat:  
"Too Many Digidestined" 


	10. Too Many Digidestined

A Bigger Threat  
Episode 10:  
"Too many Digidestined"  
  
By: Shmeilia Rockie  
  
*Episode 10, YEAH! Woo-hoo! I never thought I'd make it this far. I begin a new twist as the old Digidestined come into play, as well as the Dark Digidestined you've heard so much about! I almost stopped posting, because of some bad reviews. But then I thought: Oh, yeah, I'm not doing this for the people who don't like my stuff...I'm doing this for those who actually do like it. So, enjoy. Author's Note: The time difference isn't as extreme as it used to be. Instead of one day in the Digital World equalling one minute on Earth, it's more like one day=one hour. Just thought I'd clear that up in case anyone cares.*  
  
* * * *  
  
June had no idea where she was going when she took a walk, but soon she found herself in front of an old theator. She gazed at the faded sign out front before peering in the open door. "Matt? What's he doing here?"  
  
"Thanks, Izzy," Matt said, then drank half of a bottle of bottled water all in one giantic gulp. It was time for a small break.  
  
"No problem. You know I love messing with your equipment. It's like a special treat for me."  
  
Matt whipped the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve and sat down at the edge of the stage. He stared as Izzy messed with some wires poking out of the soundboard. "Well, I'm glad you're enjoying yourself."  
  
Izzy flipped a screwdriver off the edge of the table and caught it easily with one hand. ("Prodigous!") He grinned at his own little stunt before tightening some of the screws on the back of the panel. "You're lucky my teacher only assigned four pages of homework today, 'cause otherwise I wouldn't be here right now."  
  
"Yeah? Sorry, Yolei normally does it."  
  
"Where is she, anyway?"  
  
"In the Digital World."  
  
Izzy swallowed his gum. At the same time the screwdriver missed its mark and stabbed his hand, making him yelp. He shook his wounded hand and glared at Matt, "Are you serious?"  
  
"At least that's what Tai said. He's sittin' at the only open Digi-port waiting for them to come back, but from what I gather, they might be a while."  
  
"Why? And who's 'they'?"  
  
"Oh, you know, the usual: Davis, Yolei, Kari, Cody, TK, Ken..." Matt looked up and spotted June lingering in the doorway. He waved like she was an old friend, "Hey, THERE'S my number one fan!"  
  
She waved weakly back.  
  
"Where've you been?" He leaped off the stage and trotted up to her.  
  
Izzy slapped his forehead. Matt completely forgot that he was still talking to him.  
  
"Oh, you know, around." June quietly responded, not making eye contact.  
  
"I missed you. Concerts just aren't the same without you cheering me on."  
  
June shifted the weight of her backpack uneasily. "I thought you couldn't stand me."  
  
"Whatever gave you that idea?"  
  
She laughed harshly, "Um, maybe it was when you told me you couldn't stand me?"  
  
Matt blushed, "Oops, sorry 'bout that. But that was, like, two years ago."  
  
"Besides, where's What's-Her-Name? Sara, wasn't it?"  
  
"Sora, actually."  
  
She crossed her arms and pouted, "I got the feeling she was all the fan you needed."  
  
Matt rubbed his neck. "She didn't like my devotion to my music...No, that's not quite right... She didn't like all the girls following me around, and the fact that I didn't have much time to spend with her."  
  
"So, you two aren't going out any more?"  
  
He looked down at the floor, "We broke up three months ago."  
  
June's eyes softened. "I can tell she meant a lot to you. Have you tried talking to her?"  
  
"She won't talk. I don't even understand what I did to make her so ticked off at me."  
  
"Oh, well, it sounds like she's not good enough for you, anyway, if she got angry over a couple of groupies."  
  
His eyes widened, "Boy, that's awfully perceptive of you, June. What happened?"  
  
"Thank you very much! If that's the way you're gonna be, then I'll just leave!"  
  
She turned to go, but he grabbed her elbow. "Wait, I'm sorry. That didn't come out right. I meant to say, uh, you've really matured since the last time we talked."  
  
"Oh," she realized this was the first time Matt had ever voluntarily talked to her. Or stopped her from leaving. Normally, he was pushing her out the door himself.  
  
Before she recovered from this idea, Matt suddenly yelped, "Oh, my gosh, I almost forgot! GUESS WHAT!"  
  
She was still speachless.  
  
"I get to be on TV!"  
  
"So, you've been on television lots of times," she responded. 'And I have all of them on tape,' she thought to herself.  
  
He waved his arms frantically, "No, no, no. This time, I get to be on television in AMERICA!"  
  
June's mouth dropped open. "Really?" She squeaked, "That's great!"  
  
"That's why I'm here, right now. I've got this dude from the show watchin' me, and he's making me dance!"  
  
She raised an eyebrow at him, and said sceptically, "You. Dance?"  
  
"Yeah, I know! I couldn't dance worth beans, but now I look like a ceritfied member of an american boy-band! See?" He did a couple of his new moves. (Use your imagination. I personally have a hard time seeing Matt in a boy-band.) Then he grinned. "They've been working my tail off, day and night."  
  
"Wow, I bet the guys are really excited."  
  
Matt cast a worried glance towards the empty stage, "The band's not going."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Hey, I tried, but for some reason the show only wanted me."  
  
"Well, that stinks."  
  
"Yeah, it does." He looked at the sunlit world beyond the theator, and sighed, "I need a break. Wanna walk with me? I'll buy you sumpthin' at Starbucks."  
  
"I don't think you need any coffee right now, Matt. You're hyper enough."  
  
"Of course, I do!" He playfully snapped, "I need coffee like birds need the AIR! I'm always like this after I preform, it's just 'cause I'm tired. I'll be so glad when school lets out."  
  
"When are you going to America?"  
  
"Right after I graduate. I'm thinking of it as my senior trip. Although, if things keep up, that trip might be one way."  
  
"Would you stay?"  
  
"I don't know," he admitted truthfully. "My dad's all for it, and I actually don't have too much tying me down here. I have a few friends in America, too. Most of them are in New York, though, and I'd be about as far from them as one can get."  
  
"Huh?" Poor June, confused as usual.  
  
"I'm goin' to Hollywood."  
  
"Oooh, neat!"  
  
He laughed slightly to himself over something, then waved the thought away. "So, you've been awfully quiet, June. Something wrong?"  
  
"Huh? Oh, no. I just got a really nasty reality check not too long ago. But it's nothing YOU need to be concerned about."  
  
Ouch. "You sure? 'Cause if you need to talk..." Matt stopped, suddenly feeling a bit odd. He never thought he'd be having this kind of conversation with June. He could tell something was terribly wrong, though. And when someone needed him, he'd be there.  
  
POOF! He disappeared out of thin air (and into the Digital World, of course.) It startled June so much, she fainted.  
  
* * * *  
  
Inside the theator...  
  
Izzy rubbed his temples, his head throbbing more than the place on his hand where he'd stabbed himself with the screwdriver. "Man, I need to quit thinking so much...Oh my...I did NOT just say that."  
  
He stood up weakly and stared at his D-terminal like he knew what was coming. Indeed, he just knew the Digital World needed him. But there wasn't anything he could do about it. Just sit and wait for the Digital World to take him there. After all, it had happened before, so...  
  
POOF! He got his wish.  
  
* * * *  
  
And at the middle school...  
  
Tai had been watching the Megadigidestined drama in super-fast mode because of the time difference, but he had the general idea of what was going on. His stomach growled, and he groaned, "Oh, what I'd give for a bag of popcorn to go with this movie."  
  
He blinked, and suddenly he was sitting on the cold stone floor of Light Castle. This was one of the only rooms in the whole place that wasn't made of gold or dripping with jewels. The Megadigidestined were staring wide-eyed at him. He looked around to see that the whole gang was there. Besides Tai, Izzy, and Matt, Sora, Joe, and Mimi had also arrived from wherever they'd previously been. "Okay, so what's going on?"  
  
"All right, someone's got some explaining to do!" Mimi shrieked, yanking a large, flowered hat off her pink hair and throwing it to the ground. (Yes, her hair is now pink again. I liked it better that way.) "I was right in the middle of a photo shoot!"  
  
Everyone stared at Ken. He waved his arms frantically and proclaimed, "I didn't do it, I swear! At least, I didn't mean to do it. Really, guys, I was just wishin' they were here and POOF! They were. Sorry!"  
  
"What DID you do?" Sora asked, climbing to her feet and helping Mimi up.  
  
"Nothing! I mean, I don't know. It must have been the Power Orb."  
  
"The what?"  
  
Cody shook his head and sighed, "This could take a while."  
  
An hour later, the old Digidestined were more or less up to speed with the situation. And in conclusion, "...But we don't know what to do next, or why you guys were brought here."  
  
"Maybe there are more kids like Chaos," Izzy volunteered.  
  
"Yeah, where is she?" Tai asked.  
  
The Megadigidestined stared blankly at each other and there were a few, "Um"s and "well"s before they collectively sweatdropped.  
  
"We don't know," Cody said, realizing he'd done something very stupid. "I guess we must have left her at Dark Castle."  
  
"You WHAT?"  
  
"I know, I know!"  
  
Tai smacked his forehead. "Great, so, she's still out there?"  
  
Cody bit his lip and nodded slowly. Then to his defense, he added, "But the Freedom Sprits wouldn't have let her in here anyway, so it really doesn't matter."  
  
"Nice job, guys."  
  
* * * *  
  
"I want to start off by saying that I am very disappointed in all of you," Keesma said, staring at them all in turn.  
  
Darkness raised his hand, "And I just want to say that I tried to get them to go, but they insisted on finishing the school day. The little goodie-goodies."  
  
"Suck up," Hate snapped. He smiled at her.  
  
"I don't want excuses, Darkness, and I don't want any fights, either. Hate!"  
  
Hate stopped her fist millimeters from Darkness's nose. Then she cracked her knuckles and said menacingly, "Next time, I'll ruin that pretty face of yours, my dear friend." He tossed his perfect blue hair out of his eyes and looked away, unconcerned.  
  
"Shut!" Keesma snapped, and Hate's mouth disappeared completely. Her eyes went wide and she clawed at her face. "Thank you. Now, where was I? Oh, yes. My dear, dear Dark Digidestined, I am so glad you all could join me. Please note that if you sit quiet through my lecture, there will be refreshments afterwards."  
  
"Oh, goodie," Fear exclaimed, "I'm hungry already! But I hope I'm not allergic to them..."  
  
"You're allergic to everything, so just be quiet and listen to our Master, 'kay?" Darkness glared at him, and he shrank away.  
  
"Thank you, Darkness. So, you all like power?"  
  
"Who doesn't like power?" Lust flipped her frosty hair over her shoulder, and Hate (who'd stopped struggling) rolled her eyes.  
  
"What are you willing to do for power?"  
  
"Everything, duh," she laughed. "We volunteered for our Dark Spores, didn't we?"  
  
"How about murder?"  
  
Hate snorted, then chuckled a little bit.  
  
Darkness pushed his glasses up his nose and waved, "Big deal."  
  
"How about you three?"  
  
Fear nodded slowly.  
  
"No problem," Lust said casually, and edged away from Fear, who was getting a little close. He was the only guy in the universe that she didn't like.  
  
"Apathy?"  
  
"Whatever," he told his fingernails.  
  
"Good, I'm glad you all are clear on that."  
  
Fear raised his hand and asked like he was in class, "Can we have those refreshments now?"  
  
* * * *  
  
"So what do we do now?" Matt asked impatiently.  
  
Cody stood up. "Well, I guess it's time to get your Digimon."  
  
"But..." Izzy started, then swallowed hard. "I thought you said they were dead."  
  
"I did. They WERE dead," then he smiled. "Oh, come on, guys. Have you forgotten the golden Digimon rule? 'Digimon never die, they just get reconfigured'!"  
  
"That's right! They're problably at the Primary Village."  
  
Cody pointed at Yolei's nose and told her loudly, "THAT'S what happened when you 'Digivolved'! All the dead Digimon came back."  
  
"Really? How cool!"  
  
Mimi leaned over and asked Sora in a whisper, "And how exactly did he know that?"  
  
"Oh, Mimi, weren't you listening?"  
  
Cody closed his eyes and put a finger to the side of his head. "I'm like your local radio station, playing select Powers messages all day long."  
  
"With only the occational commercial break!" Yolei added. TK and Kari cracked up, and Cody blushed. The others didn't have a clue what they were talking about.  
  
"Gogert," TK snorted, trying unsuccessfully to keep from giggling. Kari looked like she would start rolling on the floor with laughter. All four of them laughed, even Cody. Soon Patamon, Gatomon, Armadillomon, and Veemon were cracking up. It was the kind of laughter that only comes after a life-threatening experience. Ken and Davis looked at each other and shrugged. Both of them had been unconsious at the time of that inside joke.  
  
"Right..." Tai said, scratching his head. "I musta missed that one."  
  
"Well, if we're going, we should get going," Joe said, then made a face. "Wait, that sounded weird."  
  
Matt smiled. "You're right, though. No use just sitting here."  
  
Everyone climbed to their feet. They turned to leave, and saw Michael and Willis standing (or floating, rather) at the exit, their staffs crossed.  
  
Now, the old Digidestined hadn't seen them yet, and were quite startled.  
  
Mimi screamed, "What in the good Digi-World happened to you, Michael?"  
  
"The same thing that must happen to you-"  
  
Mimi turned blue and chewed on her fingernails in utter horror. 'Look at those hideous eyes!'  
  
"Not really," Cody mumbled to her.  
  
Willis picked up the sentence, "-if you are to defeat the likes of the Dark Digidestined."  
  
That one surprised everyone. "Dark Digidestined?"  
  
"Dark Spore Children, spawn of darkness."  
  
Ken grimmaced, "Speaking of Dark Spores, people, geuss what happened to me?"  
  
Cody narrowed his eyes and spoke in a quiet voice, "Don't tell me..."  
  
He twittled his thumbs and shuddered, "Um, I-I had a bad run-in with Keesma, and she, uh, reactivated mine."  
  
Oh, that did it. Cody was in his face, and he was not happy. "YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT HAPPENED WHEN YOU LEFT ALL THAT TIME AGO, AND YOU'RE JUST NOW GETTING AROUND TO TELLING US!"  
  
"I'm okay, sorta," Ken protested. "I feel a little more alert than usual, but I'm not goin' Digimon Emperor on you. Promise!"  
  
"Dark Spore Child, foo. You were the original Dark Spore Child."  
  
Ken opened his mouth to defend himself, but Willis interrupted him, "No, he wasn't."  
  
"Wasn't what?"  
  
"The original. Sam was."  
  
"Sam?" Ken squeaked. "My brother was no Digidestined."  
  
"Sure he was," Michael said. "Why else do you think he wanted your Digivice?"  
  
"But he didn't use it! He just stuck it in a drawer!"  
  
Davis put his hand on Ken's shoulder and asked quietly, "Are you sure about that? Just because you didn't SEE him use it..."  
  
"As painful as this might be, Ken, you need to know the truth. Your brother was the first Dark Digidestined. Darkness."  
  
"No," he whispered, "he couldn't have been..."  
  
The moment Sam died played itself over in his mind. They were just walking to the store when Sam just passed out for seemingly no reason. He never regained consiousness. Brain tumor, the doctors concluded. It had made him smarter, but it ultimately killed him. And they hadn't even suspected there was anything wrong. Now Ken knew the truth: that was no brain tumor.  
  
"If the Dark Spore hadn't killed him, he would have become the Digimon Emperor instead of you, and you would have had to defeat him."  
  
"Unfortunately," the other continued without skipping a beat. "Darkness was, shall we say reincarnated, into a souless child about Cody's age. This boy looks like your brother, sounds like your brother, and has all of his memories."  
  
"But he is definately not your brother. Sam was good, but the Dark Spore destroyed his soul and replaced it with the demon that has become Darkness."  
  
"The same has happened to all the Dark Digidestined. Once good, the Dark Spores replaced their souls with some of Keesma's top warriors."  
  
"Ken, you are not one of the Dark Digidestined. You are Kindness, and nothing will change that."  
  
"But..." He whispered, tears running down his face.  
  
"The Spore was destroyed when you Morph DNA Digivolved. The awareness you're now experiencing comes from the Power Orb that has taken residence in your body."  
  
Ken looked down at his hands. "But why me? Why was I chosen?"  
  
"You already know the answer to that."  
  
He looked up at the two. Everyone else was speechless. A pen drop would have startled the living daylights out of all of them. "And I will still have to defeat Sam, won't I?"  
  
"Darkness is not Sam. You need not worry about him, for his spirit has found peace."  
  
"Darkness will try to trick you into thinking that he is your brother, but do not believe him. Don't let that stop you from destroying him when the time comes."  
  
They stepped away from the door so the others could leave. "Be careful, Digidestined."  
  
"So, do we get to become Megadigidestined, too?" Tai asked excitedly.  
  
"And will we need to Morph Digivolve?" TK asked, looking wearily down at Patamon.  
  
"Yes and yes, in time."  
  
"Hold on," Izzy said, coming to the front of the group. "How many Dark Digidestined are there?"  
  
"Six."  
  
"Oh, is that all?" The old Digidestined relaxed a bit.  
  
"Do not be deceived. Just because there are only six of them, doesn't mean they will be push-overs. They have dangerous powers and some of the strongest evil Digimon you've ever come up against."  
  
"Now go, Digidestined. May the Powers guide you, always."  
  
"Will we ever see you guys again?" Kari asked.  
  
Willis smiled sadly, "Most likely not. At least not in this realm."  
  
So all twelve of them set off in the direction of Primary Village, where their Digimon waited in their digi eggs. Yolei danced around and told everyone, "I made the Digimon come back!"  
  
As soon as they were out of the castle, Ken pointed out to everyone that Davis was now offically a part of the Megadigidestined. Indeed, Davis had the same silver armor as Ken, but with the electric-blue Crest of Friendship on the brestplate, and the same color gloves and cape.  
  
"Oh, look, Davis, we match!" Veemon announced, wrapping himself in Davis's cape and almost tripping him. They didn't really match, the cape was way too bright. Veemon was just happy that Davis wasn't eatten, evil, or dead.  
  
"Come here, you," Davis picked up the giggling Digimon and tickled him until tears came out of his eyes in rivers.  
  
"Six of them, twelve of us," Izzy sighed, getting back to business. "That means that they will probably be at least twice as strong as any one of us."  
  
Yolei got in his face and yelled, "No, just twice as strong as you regular Digidestined. But once you guys 'Digivolve', you'll kick their butts!"  
  
Cody grabbed her arm to keep her from jumping around. "No, Yolei, I don't think it will be that easy. More than likely, right now, they're three times stonger than the regular Digidestined, and twice as strong as us Megadigidestined. When we Morph Digivolve, then we will be a match, concidering that they can't also Morph Digivolve. If that's the case, we'll probably only win by numbers. Even then, the deciding factor might be that we have the Power Orb, and they don't."  
  
He threw a disgusted look at Ken, who gulped loudly.  
  
"Who would you say was the strongest Digimon we've ever faced?"  
  
"Kimeramon," Davis said.  
  
"He's probably been reconfigured by now, too," Ken sighed.  
  
"Myotismon, duh," TK said like it had to be the most obvious thing in the world. "Devimon's got second on my list."  
  
"Oh, I can take care of him, no problem," Patamon told him from his perch on top of TK's helmet.  
  
"Apoclamon has my vote," Joe said.  
  
"Don't forget the Dark Masters," Tai put in. "DARK Masters, DARK Digidestined."  
  
"Well, Michael has Seadramon," Mimi said matter-of-factly, "and he's a good guy, so let's hope we won't see MetalSeadramon."  
  
"Okay," Izzy picked up, "Three of the Dark Masters, Apoclamon, Whatever-Myotismon and Kimeramon for sure. Ya think?"  
  
Cody shook his head, "What about Daemon, Mummymon and Arukinimon?"  
  
"Don't forget about Ladydevimon," Gatomon added.  
  
"And everyone's favorite, Diaboromon," Matt finished. "Man, there are way too many evil Digimon."  
  
* * * *  
  
All the Digimon: And now it's time for a commercial break!  
  
Matt: Hey, I'm not quite sure what this is a commercial for, but...Oh, well, here goes. Enjoy.  
  
Tai's sitting on a park bench, humming the Digimon theme song, oblivious to the world around him. The quiet peacefullness of the park is shattered as a man-sized hot dog appears out of nowhere, screaming a war-cry. Tai doesn't notice as it speeds towards him. When it's about ten feet away, he pops a piece of gum in his mouth and the hot dog EXPLODES! Still, he doesn't even notice.  
  
Matt: Well, if that isn't the most disturbing thing I've ever seen...  
  
Yolei (Sweatdrops): Yeah, that's even scarier than Gogert!  
  
Cody: Hey, I like Gogert! (slurp) Mmm, prune flavored! My favorite!  
  
The hot dog runs across the screen, yelling at the top of its lungs. It explodes right before it leaves view.  
  
Matt (Smacks his forehead): Ugh, now back to the show.  
  
* * * *  
  
"I'm leaving," Keesma announced and everyone gasped. Fear dropped his spoon right before it reached his mouth, splattering chocolate ice cream down his shirt.  
  
"Oh, Cheez-it!" That's not what he really said, but it sounds funny.  
  
The others ignored him, and began talking rapidly at once in sheer panic (except for Apathy, who wouldn't have cared if a house fell on him).  
  
Keesma held up her hand to silence them. "Really, my children, are you that lost without me?"  
  
"YES!"  
  
"We need direction!" Fear whinned as he tried to get the ice cream off his shirt.  
  
"What can be more important than this?" Hate asked bitterly, then added a little more nicely, "Master?"  
  
Keesma glared at her for a moment, concidering taking her mouth away again, but at the sound of 'Master' she changed her mind. "Do you truely believe that this is the only plane of existance that I dwell in?"  
  
"Well, I thought..." She twirled her dark blue hair self-consiously.  
  
"Try not to do that too much, dear. You might hurt yourself." Keesma said this just to get her ticked off. Hate knew better than to lash out at her master, and ended up just pouting at Keesma.  
  
"Please give us some instructions before you leave."  
  
"Well, Darkness, since you asked so nicely..." She patted his head as if he were a dog. "I'm leaving you in charge."  
  
"Not fair!" Lust and Hate whinned at the same time.  
  
Keesma ignored them. "Take one of these misfits and go to the Primary Village to pick up your digi eggs. If you run into the Megadigidestined, give them the slip. Don't try to fight them, because believe me, they would win. Bring the eggs back here but don't wait for them to hatch. Just take the Gate to Labrynth Island on the Dark Ocean Plane. Got that?"  
  
"Sure," Darkness yelped, even though he looked like he didn't have a clue. Neither did anyone else, though.  
  
She smiled briefly. "Good."  
  
"And what do I do about the Key?"  
  
"Oh, you mean Kindness? When...If he finds you, just use the old, 'I'm your brother ploy'. If that doesn't work, I'm an angel."  
  
"Uh, okay."  
  
"And what about the rest of us?" Lust asked, nervously brushing her white, curly hair with her long fingers.  
  
"Yeah," Hate echoed like that had been on her mind the whole time. "What do we do?"  
  
"You guys just work your black magic. You'll be fine. Remember, your goal is to eliminate the Megadigidestined, but try to corrupt them if you can. That would be even better. Nothing is more fun than watching friends destroy each other."  
  
"Which ones should we go for?"  
  
"Well, Kindness has a Dark Spore, plus he'll be weak against Darkness. Love, ur, Yolei can be quite unstable..."  
  
"Yolei!" Hate gasped, and clamped her hands over her mouth.  
  
Darkness and Lust looked at her strangely, but Keesma didn't seem to notice. "Yeah, you'll do good against her. Matt has also been unstable in the anger department. If you turn him against Courage (Tai-big hair), you'll be okay there. Tai took his ex-girlfriend, so Matt..."  
  
"Maybe I could play with him!" Lust squealed, thinking 'I go to all his concerts. Oh, he's SO hot!'  
  
"Don't count on it," Apathy told her, yawning. "He's a little old for you."  
  
"So what? I'll get him, just you wait!"  
  
"You might want to concentrait on Davis. He's the weak link of the bunch. He's just looking for someone to abuse him. Everyone should go for him. Besides, he's only a year older than you, and I think you'll like him."  
  
"If you say so..." Inside, she was thinking, 'I WOULD get the second rate loser, wouldn't I? I want Matt!'  
  
"Mimi (Sincerity) could probably fall under Apathy-"  
  
"If he'd ever get off his lazy butt," Hate mumbled.  
  
"-And so might Joe (Reliability). Maybe. It would probably be good for him to also take care of Hope or Light, if that's at all possible. Fear, your best bet would be to pick on Davis. I've still got half of his soul, after all. Use that to your advantage. And Chaos will create havoc wherever she is, so I'm not to worried about her."  
  
After a pause, she concluded, "Well, good luck." And left. Chaos fell to the floor.  
  
* * * *  
  
Tai put his hands behind his head and growled in frustation, "Urgh, this is SOOO BORING! How could you guys have survived this trip THREE TIMES?"  
  
"It's not so bad," Cody told him.  
  
"Not so bad?" Matt asked, shoving up next to him. "All we ever see is this dirt path. Dirt, dirt, dirt, oh, look, a tree! What a change of scenery!"  
  
"How did you guys ever manage back in the beginning?"  
  
"Easy, we had our Digimon to entertain us."  
  
"Hey," Gatomon complained, "Is that all we are to you? Your ENTERTAINMENT?"  
  
"And to keep us company," Matt added bitterly. He'd missed Gabumon more than he realized.  
  
"At least it's not hot," Mimi suggested. "There'd been plenty of times when we almost died of heat exhaustion."  
  
"Really?" Yolei asked in wonder.  
  
Sora put her arm around Yolei's shoulder and spoke in a voice that said 'I'm older than you are, so I automatically know what I'm talking about', "You guys had it easy. When you got too hot, you could just go home. We had to suffer through it."  
  
"And we're here!" Cody announced, stopping so suddenly that Izzy ran into him.  
  
"Little more warning next time, please!"  
  
"Sorry," Cody told him absent-mindedly.  
  
Primary Village was always a wonderful sight, but in the middle of the endless night, it was just like an oaisis.  
  
"Wow, pretty!" Mimi gasped. The Digi eggs glowed with their own light.  
  
"There they are!" Their Digimon rushed at them, digivolving to their Rookie forms right before they reached the Digidestined. They began talking excitedly all at once.  
  
"Oh, Matt, you must have grown three feet!"  
  
"Tai, you're taller too, or did your hair just get bigger?"  
  
"Oh, shut up, Agumon," Tai said, giving his partner a hug.  
  
"Izzy, you haven't grown at all since the last time I saw you."  
  
Izzy stuck out his tounge, "Thanks a lot, Tentomon, I love you too."   
  
"Aw, you know I'm just joking with you," Tentomon responded, laughing nervously. "Look, you're actually finally taller than Yolei!"  
  
"Mimi, I really like what you've done with your hair," Palmon told her. The two turned to the invisible camera and smiled. Mimi's hair matched the color of Palmon's flower, so they looked quite the same.  
  
Joe got knocked over by a white and orange blur. "Smile, Joe, the fun has arrived!"  
  
"Gomamon! Give me five," Joe laughed, and Gomamon made a face. He had flippers, not hands! Then he smiled as he realized Joe was just joking.  
  
"Good one!"  
  
"Sora, so we meet again."  
  
Sora dropped to her knees and gave her Digimon a bear hug. "Oh, Biyomon! How I missed you."  
  
"Well, well, well, if this isn't a pretty picture!"  
  
Everyone looked up to see the source of the voice. It was Lust and Darkness, standing on the other side of the area. Darkness had a bag of six basketball-sized eggs slung over his shoulder.  
  
Now, Ken had known that Darkness looked like his brother Sam, but he didn't realize quite what that meant. He gasped and fell to his knees, the reality of that hitting him like a speeding truck. This guy looked EXACTLY like Sam, down to his fashion sense, (but his hair was tamer). It was like seeing him alive again. The kid was even the same age Sam had been when he died.  
  
Lust waved at Matt and giggled.  
  
"See ya, Digidestined," Darkness threw something on the ground and a cloud of smoke surrounded them. When the smoke cleared, they were gone.  
  
"He even sounds like Sam," Ken whimpered.  
  
Only Davis had noticed Ken's sudden collapse.  
  
Yolei turned to Cody, "So, uh, now what do we do?"  
  
He pointed and yelled overdramatically, "To Dark Castle!"  
  
* * * *  
  
"So, that was the infamous Digimon Emperor," Lust sighed.  
  
Darkness pouted, "He doesn't even deserve that title, now. The little goodie-goodie."  
  
"Oh, and I'm guessing you think you DO deserve it, huh?"  
  
Darkness smiled and said slyly, "I don't need a title. Titles are just something to hide behind. True darkness speaks for itself."  
  
She chuckled, "Like you would know, Mr. 4.0-Perfect-Student."  
  
"I've done things you couldn't fathom."  
  
"Like what?" Lust thrust her finger in his face, "Spread a killer computer virus?"  
  
He dropped the bag of eggs (none of them broke, thankfully), and gripped her shoulders so tightly, it hurt. He growled, "Let me just say, I know many things worse than dying. I've died, and I can tell you-it's nothing. But I've also studied quite a few methods of torture that would make you cry out for a speedy death. Get my drift, Girly?"  
  
"Oh, I get it," she giggled. He was so close...  
  
His mood changed suddenly. He tilted his head and smiled that award-winning smile.  
  
'You are so bad,' she mouthed.  
  
He kissed her, then abruptly pulled away and slapped her. "Stop using your magic, Lust! I won't stand for it!" Then he grabbed the bag of eggs and stormed away, leaving her clutching the side of her face, laughing hysterically.  
  
* * * *  
  
"'Bout time you two got back," Hate said, putting her hands on her hips.  
  
"We ran into the Digidestined," Darkness told her dully, setting down the bag of eggs. Lust sniggered at him and he shot her a poisionous look.  
  
Chaos took a sip of her drink and put it back in her new nifty cup holder. (It was really Apathy's hand. He'd gotten bored and decided to take a nap right there on the floor by the refreshments table.) She ran her fingers through her short hair and exhaled loudly. Possession had worn her out, but she was bouncing back more quickly than what was normally expected. "Shouldn't we be getting down to business?"  
  
"Oh, Chaos, are you up to it?" Fear asked.  
  
"No, but that's okay. I'll survive."  
  
Darkness wheeled in what looked like a grindstone covered with weird writing and plopped it in the middle of the group. Then he kicked Apathy awake.  
  
Apathy rubbed his side and barked, "Go away!"  
  
"We're leaving, you lazy bum!"  
  
He snorted and got out his Digivice. It was a different model than the origianals and the D-3s. It was a black hemisphere with a handle going horizantally across the back. Two other handles were on the sides, although they were just for decoration. The screen on the front was flat, and currently it displayed the time of day (It was three o'clock).  
  
The six kids got in a circle around the grindstone.  
  
Darkness slipped his Digivice onto his hand and messed with the buttons. "All right, everybody, set your Digivices to Labrynth Island, Dark Ocean. We don't have much time to prepare. The Digidestined are probably right behind us."  
  
It took them a while to figure out how to set the Digivices to another plane, but they got it eventually. (All except Fear. Chaos had to help the poor boy out.)  
  
Darkness held his Digivice over the hole in the grindstone, "Ready?"  
  
The others nodded, copying him.  
  
* * * *  
  
The Digidestined were almost to Dark Castle, when it exploded with dark energy. The kids and Digimon all ran for cover.  
  
After about a minute, Cody looked over the top of the boulder he was hiding behind and sighed, "We're too late."  
  
"Gee, it seems like we're ALWAYS too late," TK mumbled bitterly.  
  
Cody stood up and dusted himself off. "Well, come on. Maybe we can still follow them."  
  
Tai brushed the dust out of his hair and asked, "Excuse me, but what are we late for?"  
  
"The Dark Digidestined just went to another plane of existance."  
  
"Oh, that really clears that up. Thanks so much."  
  
They carefully approached the ruins of the castle. In the center was a small grindstone in the middle of a clearing. In the hole of the grindstone, was a window into another plane. The picture kept moving. They crowded around it.  
  
"Well, guys, there it is."  
  
"What IS it, though?" Mimi asked. "I mean where does it go?"  
  
Cody shrugged. Half the kids groaned.  
  
Tai stared at the stone a while, and commented, "It looks too small for all of us."  
  
Cody tapped the side of his head, like he hoped he could get better reception that way. "I guess will have to split into groups."  
  
"I don't like that idea."  
  
"I don't either, but unless you can think of a better idea, we'll have to."  
  
It took them another half an hour to sort themselves into three teams. Matt, Davis, Ken, and Joe were on one. Tai, Cody, Izzy, and TK were on another. The last one had all the girls in it. Why did it turn out that way? No one knows. It might have something to do with armor, but that's too obvious, isn't it?  
  
"All right, let's go!" Tai held out his Digivice.  
*Freeze the picture*  
  
  
What awaits the Digidestined on the other side?  
  
Find out in the next episode of Digimon: A Bigger Threat-  
"Labrynth Island Part 1"  
  
* * * *  
  
Author's note: Sorry this episode was so gosh-darn long! 


	11. Labyrinth Island Part 1

A Bigger Threat  
Episode 11:  
"Labyrinth Island Part 1"  
  
By: Shmeilia Rockie  
  
  
* * * *  
  
Author's note: The next couple of episodes was based off of the movie "Labrynth", just so everyone knows. That's my favorite movie in the entire world (dispite having David Bowie in it), and if anyone hasn't seen it, I suggest that they do! It is so worth the time! The plot of this segment does NOT directly follow the plot of the movie, so no one gets angry. Labrynth was just my inspiration. I never even originally planned on the old Digidestined being in this at all, so I was at a loss for something to do with them. Until now.  
  
And to Miome, who asked me why Yolei didn't quite know some of the things she should...I can only say that was a lapse in judgement on my part, I guess...I overexagerated her air-headedness a bit. She's a good character, I just struggle with her. And Sora. I get Sora all wrong, but that's only because I don't like her. I want to appologize to all the Sora fans, right here and now: I'm very sorry for butchering her character.  
  
Now, with all of that out of the way I can get on to the lovely disclaimer...  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Digimon, or Labrynth. So there you go.  
  
* * * *  
  
In a flash and a stomach-churning moment, Matt, Davis, Ken and Joe (and their Digimon, of course) arrived on a small bump of land in the middle of a vast ocean. Across the water loomed a giantic island with a dark castle in the center, surrounded by a twisting maze. The group would have wondered about it, but something else distracted them from it completely.  
  
"WOAH! What stinks?" Everyone immediately covered their noses.  
  
"That, my friends, is the stinch of evil," Ken announced.  
  
"It smells like..." Matt uncovered his nose for a second, then dearly wished he hadn't. He gagged, "Rotting eggs!"  
  
"Really?" Joe asked, whipping the tears out of his eyes. "Smells more like the waste treatment center outside of town."  
  
"Roadkill skunks!" Davis gasped.  
  
The Digimon tried to wave away the smell, but to no avail.  
  
"No fair!" Veemon whined, "Gomamon doesn't have a nose!"  
  
"Yeah, well, that doesn't mean I can't still smell it."  
  
"Man, this is easily the most disgusting thing I've ever smelled," Gabumon told Matt. "Worse than RedVeggimon and wet fur combined."  
  
"Yeah, I know!"  
  
Ken walked to the edge of the island they were on, and peered into the black water. He couldn't see his reflection, and that was a dead give-away as to where they were. "This is the Dark Ocean."  
  
"Really?" Davis asked. He'd never seen it before. He leaned over the edge, and was about to put his hand in, but Ken stopped him.  
  
"WHAT THE HECK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"  
  
"I just wanted to get a better look at it," Davis pouted.  
  
"If you so much as put a foot in this stuff, you'll be evil forever!"  
  
Davis crossed his arms and pouted. "Stop being overdramatic, Ken. I know for a fact that you practically took a bath in it."  
  
"Yeah, and then I decided to take over the Digital World," he muttered. "Anyway, I wouldn't risk it."  
  
"Hey," Gomamon yelped, "I just realized something!"  
  
"What is it?" Joe asked.  
  
"They're in color, but look at us!"  
  
Joe and Matt stared at each other, then at Davis and Ken. "Hey! What's up with that?"  
  
Ken turned to Davis, lightly whacked him on the arm and told him, "If you can smell something nasty, that proves you're not evil. I couldn't smell a thing the first time I came here, and it wasn't because I had a cold."  
  
Davis mumbled, "Yeah, well, what's it smell like to you now?"  
  
Ken sniffed the air, then rubbed his nose. "To tell you the truth, I think it smells like a combination of old gym socks and my aunt's honestly awfull perfume. Lilacs and sweat, what a WONDERFUL combination!"  
  
"Okay, guys," Joe said, getting down to business. "I get the feeling that we should be over there."  
  
Matt put his hands in the back pockets of his tight-fitting jeans, tossed his stylishly messy hair and squinted at the island in the distance. "But the question is, how do we get over there? I'd say swim it, but we can't risk becoming contaminated."  
  
Joe sighed, "And that rules Ikkumon out, too, I'm afraid."  
  
Gomamon's ears drooped, and he groaned.  
  
"I wish we could make a boat, or something," Ken sighed. He looked around the tiny island. "There is absolutely nothing here to work with."  
  
With a loud CRACK, the ground under Ken and Davis broke off and slid into the ocean, threatening to take the two guys with it. A hand caught Davis, who was the closest to the stable ground. Ken, however, disappeared under the dark water.  
  
"Woah!" Davis yelped, his head reeling. "Oh, no. Ken!"  
  
The the rest of the group stared over the edge.  
  
"It happened so fast," Matt whispered.  
  
Joe shook his head. "I didn't have time to get both of them. I'm surprised I managed to catch Davis."  
  
Davis fell to the ground, tears forming in his eyes. "Not Ken. Why couldn't it have been me instead?"  
  
"Uh, Davis," Matt suddenly grinned and pointed.  
  
Davis leaned over the edge with them to see the excitement. There was a patch of golden light coming through the blackness. "Yes! Oh, he's good. He's so good."  
  
At those words the light exploded, spraying them with liquid. (It was okay, though. The light had cleansed the water, so they weren't contaminated. Or so I like to tell myself.) Ken floated in the middle of a collum of golden energy, arms out from his sides and eyes closed in concentration. The water pushed against it, but inside the sheild was as dry as a bone. He floated to the ocean floor and slowly opened his eyes. He looked up at the others. "I don't think a can get back up!"  
  
"I'll help," Joe said, jumping into the shaft of light.  
  
"All right, all right!" Gomamon dived in after him.  
  
"I never thought I'd live to see the day Joe recklessly dived into a dangerous situation," Matt told Davis. "That's supposed to be my job! Or Tai's."  
  
Ken stared wide-eyed at Joe. "What are you going to do?" Pause. "Ak, you're a Megadigidestined!"  
  
Joe looked at his hands. "Cool." (Real quick: Silver armor, white gloves and cape. Helmet.)  
  
"If you're going to do something, do it quick. I can't keep this up much longer."  
  
"Okay, here goes. What, I don't know." He threw his arms out in front of him and the waters parted. The split ran all the way to the main island.  
  
Ken shut off his sheild. "Thank the heavens."  
  
Matt and Gabumon slid down the steep island wall, Davis and Veemon right behind him. "Dude, that was awesome! From now on, I think I'll call you Moses!"  
  
"So my power is controlling water?"  
  
Gomamon smiled with pride. "Sure seems that way, doesn't it?"  
  
Joe pointed to a staircase on the other side of the path. "Well, come on, guys. Let's get over there before this wears off!"  
  
* * * *  
  
"Okay, one question," Tai said looking around. "Where the HECK are we?"  
  
To answer his question, the fog parted. They stood in front of a stone door marked "Warning: locked from the other side. Please go through and unlock before entering."  
  
The eight travelers stared at the sign in total bewilderment.  
  
Izzy scratched his head and remarked, "Okay, that is the WEIRDEST thing I have ever read."  
  
Cody nodded, "That makes absolutely no sense, what-so-ever."  
  
"Sure it does," TK said, getting weird looks from everyone else. He explained, "I can teleport through the door. At least, I think I can, anyway."  
  
"Okaay, try it," Tai told him, sweatdropping in confusion.  
  
Patamon flew off TK's helmet and said, "Yeah, go ahead. It won't hurt to try."  
  
"At least it won't hurt YOU, Patamon." He took a deep breath and lept through the door.  
  
All eyes went wide.   
  
After a long pause, Tai spoke up, "Um, where is he?"  
  
"I don't know." Izzy turned to Tai, but didn't take his eyes off the door.  
  
"What if he teleported to Tahiti, or something?"  
  
"Oh, boy, that makes me feel better," Patamon snapped sarcastically. "What if he ran into trouble on the other side?"  
  
As if on cue, the door opened. Even though they were all expecting him to come through the door, the action still made them jump about a foot off the ground (Except for Tentomon and Patamon, who accidentally smacked into each other in panic.)  
  
TK smiled warmly, "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you guys."  
  
"Well, you sure did a good job of it!" Tai snapped. "What in the Digi-World took you so long?"  
  
Patamon flew close to TK, "Yeah, I thought you were in trouble!"  
  
"Sorry, sorry, guys. I had to try teleporting through various objects. It's fun!"  
  
Tai slapped his forehead. "Great, he was having FUN."  
  
TK threw a worried glance over his shoulder. "Well, I hate to inform you guys of this, but there are more locked doors."  
  
"Great! Just great!" Tai threw his hands in the air and paced away about five steps, before coming back with new determination. "Well, let's get to it already. Those doors aren't going to open themselves, and just standing here isn't getting us anywhere!"  
  
He marched past TK and stood at the next door, arms crossed and foot impatiently tapping the ground.  
  
TK rubbed his hands together and took a deep breath, "Okay." And he was gone again.  
  
Izzy rubbed side of his head.  
  
Tentomon noticed something was wrong. "What's up, Izzy?"  
  
Izzy growled in frustration, "There are just so many things I don't understand!"  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Why are there so many locked doors? What's the point? Where are the other two groups? And why does Cody get the power of understanding? I could really use it right about now!"  
  
Izzy'd said all of this so fast, Tentomon didn't catch it all. He sweatdropped, "Sometimes you just have to accept things, even if you don't understand how they work. Otherwise, you'll drive yourself crazy worring about all the little details, even when they don't matter a bit."  
  
"But I can't DO that! That's not how my mind works."  
  
Cody shook his head, knowing exactly how Izzy felt. He told him very plainly, "You need to be patient. Just know that one day you will understand, and until it happens you need to take life at face value."  
  
"So, one day I will know?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Izzy whipped the sweat off his forehead with relief. "That's good."  
  
Cody grinned. "Yes, and let me tell you, it does feel good to know the answers to all my questions."  
  
Izzy looked at him suspicously, "All your questions?"  
  
Cody thought about that for a moment, then slowly shook his head. "No, I guess not. Really, though, I don't have any more questions. I know that everything will make since in time, and that's enough to satisfy me."  
  
Just then, TK opened the door. There was another one. And another one. It just kept going and going...  
  
* * * *  
  
Commercial Break!  
  
Tai: How Garz and Zarg eat a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup-  
  
Zarg takes the wrapper off the peanut butter cup and stares at it questioningly. He looks from the cup to the wrapper and back to the cup. He tosses the candy to Garz and pops the wrapper in his mouth.  
  
Garz peels the papper off the bottom and hands the peanut butter cup to a hungery Veemon, who stuffs the whole thing in his mouth and swallows without chewing. Garz smiles, "It's always nice to share with friends," winks and eats the papper.  
  
Tai: Ugh, there's no WRONG way...to, uh, eat a Reeses.  
  
There's a shot of a peanut butter cup leaning against its wrapper. There's a chomping noise and the wrapper disappears. The cup falls over.  
  
* * * *  
  
"Oh, this is a change of scenery," Yolei commented dryly.  
  
The girls packed themselves in a tight circle, the Digimon on the outside.  
  
"Where are we?" Mimi whispered.  
  
"Uh, I'm not sure, but I think we're in the jungle." That sounded a lot more sarcastic than Sora had intended. Must have been the nerves.  
  
A loud, rather disturbing gurgling sound made them all shriek.  
  
"What was that?" Kari yelped, practically jumping into Yolei's arms.  
  
"It sounded like water draining out of a bathtub," Gatomon commented with a shudder. "Only twenty times louder."  
  
Click, click, clickclickclickclick.  
  
"This forest is disturbing!" Mimi pulled her hat down over her ears as a way of self-reassurance. "I don't think I like it at all!"  
  
Click-click. A terribly menacing cackle filled the otherwise silent forest.  
  
"Do you think I should Morph Digivolve?" Yolei asked.  
  
Kari bit her lip. "Not yet. Save your energy."  
  
The undergrowth around the group began to rustle. The strange clicking and horrible laughing surrounded them.  
  
"Okay, go ahead, Yolei! Knock yourself out."  
  
Yolei flung her hand into the air and called, "Morph-"  
  
"Hold on, little lady," came a gruff, yet sqeaky voice, stoping Yolei dead in the middle of the phrase. A small, furry, coral-colored demon (For lack of a better word) immerged carring two short sticks. "Don't get yo'self all in a twist. We're jus' playin' witcha."  
  
Suddenly there were more. All over the place. They each carried sticks, which were responsible for the clicking noise.  
  
"Ya look a triffle lost," said the lead thing, looking up at them with unmistakenly evil bulging eyes.  
  
"N-no," Sora told it shakily. "We know exactly where we are."  
  
"I don't tink ya do. Dis is OUR territory. And when ya tresspass on our dirt, ya go by our rules. NOW, listen to our little ditty."  
  
The things sang together in complete discord (If you want to get the jest of what they sang about, watch the Labrynth.) They also danced as horribly as they sang, taking off their arms and legs and heads and throwing them around. That part was almost enough to make the girls cronically sick. And when they finished, they expected the poor group join them in an encore.  
  
"I'm sorry," Kari said as they closed in. "But we can't take off our body parts. We're kind of attached to them."  
  
"Rubbish, a course ya can. Metinks ya just need a little help."  
  
As soon as one of them got close enough, Yolei kicked it's head off. This didn't hurt the thing at all, just startled it. "Take that, freak!" The head went rolling away, sqwaking the whole time.  
  
"Hey, that was his head!" She grabbed the next one's head and chucked it into next week. It sailed away, screaming, "Hey, that's MY head!"  
  
"Ooh, ya shouldn'ta done that! Now we'll hafta get rough witcha."  
  
The freaky things started combining until they became one nasty, many legged, many armed monster with about twenty heads.  
  
"Boy, Yolei, I don't think that was a very good idea," Sora yelled as it took a swipe at her.  
  
"MORPH DIGI-ARMOR ENERGIZE!" Yolei took on the armor of Shurimon, (note to self: check the spelling on that) complete with giant throwing stars. She chucked one at the moster, severing one of it's arms. It crawled back up the beast and reattached itself. "It didn't even phase it!"  
  
"That's it!" Gatomon announced. "Come on, Kari!"  
  
Kari grabbed her pink D-3, "Right. Digivolve!"  
  
Gatomon digivolved to Angewomon, her Ultimate form.  
  
Mimi tossed her digivice in the air and caught it with a new determination. "Come on, guys, we can't let them have all the fun!"  
  
"Palmon digivolve to...Togemon!"  
  
"Biyomon digivolve to...Birdramon!"  
  
"Needle Spray!" A thousand tiny needles burried themselves in the orange flesh of the demon, sending it howling in pain.  
  
"Meteor Wing!" Birdramon's attack singed the thing's pink fur, and it began running around in panicked circles.  
  
"All right, finish it off!" Kari called.  
  
"Celestial Arrow!" The arrow sang into the core of the monster and it went POOF!   
  
The Digimon de-digivolved and joined the girls in a little victory dance.  
  
Yolei returned to her normal state. "Dude, that was awesome!"  
  
"Yeah, go Girl Power!" Mimi yelled. (All the Digimon present were girls so they didn't complain.)  
  
They did a group high-five. "Girl Power!"  
  
"Well, let's get out of this creepy forest," Sora said, starting off in a random direction.  
  
Yolei jumped into the air. "We can take on anything!"  
  
"It doesn't seem too bad now," Kari commented.  
  
  
Will the kids ever figure out where they're going?  
  
Find out in the next episode of Digimon: A Bigger Threat-  
"Labrynth Island Part 2" 


	12. Labyrinth Island Part 2

Digimon: A Bigger Threat  
Episode 12-  
"Labrynth Island Part 2"  
  
By Shmeilia Rockie  
  
  
"How many more doors are there?"  
  
"Hopefully, this is it," TK said and went to teleport through the door. He smacked into it with a loud CRACK and stumbled to the ground, rubbing his forehead. He said in a dazed voice, "Did someone get the license plate of the Monochromon that hit me?"  
  
"Huh. Weird." Cody tilted his head and examined the doors. "I bet these aren't even locked." He pushed one of them with all his might, but to no avail.  
  
"Nice try, there, small-fry," Tai told him. Cody glared at him, but because Tai was an elder Digidestined, he didn't argue.  
  
TK growled and feriously kicked one of the doors, refusing to give up on teleporting.  
  
Once again, Tai volunteered, "Maybe you're just tired, TK. Ya know, like a Digimon tires out during battle."  
  
The Digimon glared at him. TK turned around and tried pushing with his back. "Yeah, Tai, and maybe your hair takes up ninety percent of your brain, but I don't quite think so."  
  
Tai patted down his hair, "Sheesh, what's eatting you?"  
  
"Oh, don't worry about it," Cody told him matter-of-factly, "He's just gone into 'All-Holy-TK mode'."  
  
Tai, Izzy, and the four Digimon stared at him like he was diseased. They asked at the same time, "All-Holy-TK?"  
  
TK pounded on the door some more, and roared, "NO I HAVEN'T! WHEN I DO, YOU'LL KNOW IT!"  
  
Cody made a frightened, slightly worried face. He knew All-Holy-TK very well. Normally kind and care-free, TK would sometimes snap into this anti-evil warrior of all that is good. He would become ruthless in his quest to eradicate evil. It was like he would become possessed by the powers of good. And that was always really disturbing to witness. Thankfully, it didn't happen very offten. Unfortunately they were stuck in a realm of evil, so it was only a matter of time before All-Holy-TK took over. Cody groaned, "This is bad. I'll hate to see that day."  
  
Suddenly a voice called, "STEP AWAY FROM THE BIG METAL DOORS AND NO ONE GETS HURT!" TK jumped back like the doors were red-hot.  
  
Two Bakamon poped out of nowhere. One was light blue and wore a police hat, the other was was pink and wore a red jesture's cap.  
  
Agumon burst into laughter, "Well, if you two aren't the weirdest looking things I've ever seen..."  
  
Patamon parked himself on TK's helmet. "Hey, guys, which one of these doors will get us out of this place?"  
  
"Are you asking me? Or him?" The pink Bakamon asked, pointing at his companion.  
  
"Does it matter?" Agumon asked, shaking his head. Tai eyed him with amusement. "Don't look at me like that, I know what you're thinking. But these guys are even worse than I am on my best day!"  
  
"I didn't say a thing," Tai responded, trying unsecessfully to surpress a grin.  
  
"Well? How do we get out of here?" TK stared at the two. He was still really ticked off.  
  
"You can ask," the blue one said mysteriously, "but be warned: one of us always tells the truth, and the other one always lies. So, on that note, one of these doors leads in the right direction, and the other one leads to..."  
  
"Da-da, da, Dum!"  
  
"Certain doom! Mmwahaha!"  
  
Izzy leaned in for a close look at the two. He stared questioningly at them for a long time before pulling away, "I can't tell which is which!"  
  
"I tell only the truth!" Blue declaired. He jerked his thumb at the other one, "He always lies!"  
  
"'ll, that's a lie if I ever heard one!"  
  
They cracked up.  
  
Tai and TK looked down at them grudgingly, and Izzy pulled Cody off to the side. "Any ideas?"  
  
"None, you?" Cody took off his helmet and smoothed out his hat-hair.  
  
"I'm working on it. It's like a riddle, and all we need to do is to think about this logically."  
  
Tai suddenly snapped his fingers, "I've got it! Logic!"  
  
Izzy and Cody traded worried looks. They knew Tai's logic. He leaned casually against the wall and asked Pink, "Okay, if I were to ask you which door he would say leads to certain doom, would he say it was this one?"  
  
Pink looked at his friend and scratched his head thoughtfully, "Um, I guess so."  
  
"Then this door leads in the right direction, and that door leads to death!"  
  
"How 'dyou come up with that?"  
  
"If you said he'd say this is the wrong door, then it must be the right one."  
  
"How so?" Blue asked, looking horribly offended.  
  
"You're lying."  
  
"B-but," Pink studdered, "what if he isn't?"  
  
"Then you're lying, and the answer would be the same anyway!"  
  
Tai went to open the door, but Cody grabbed his shirt collar. "Hold it, Tai, your logic stinks."  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
"That was a fifty-fifty question," Izzy told him like it was the most obvious thing in the universe. "He could have just as easily said no, then this would have been the WRONG door."  
  
Tai pouted, "Well fine, lets see you do any better."  
  
Tentomon hovered close to Izzy and whispered loudly, "You know, if he was lying when he said that one of them tells the truth, then they could both be lying. If that's the case, then we're fried."  
  
Izzy sighed, "Thanks for looking on the bright side there, buddy."  
  
"What? I'm just trying to be realistic."  
  
Tai growled, getting very frustrated, "Which one of you is lying, for Pete's sake?"  
  
"Not me!" they both declaired, giggling.  
  
Agumon pulled on Tai's sleeve, and asked like a little kid, "Hey, Tai, who is this 'Pete' anyway?"  
  
"I don't know, it's just an expression!" he whined, throwing his hands in the air and stalking off in frustration.  
  
After a few moments of careful thinking, Izzy thought he might have finally arrived at the answer. He asked Cody for his fighting staff.  
  
"What do you need this for?"  
  
Izzy didn't answer, but turned to the two off-colored Bakamon. He threw the staff on the ground. "What direction did that fall?"  
  
The blue one said down, but the pink one yelped "up!" and clamped his hands over his mouth. He'd just given himself away.  
  
Izzy handed the staff back to Cody, and thanked him. He suddenly sprang into color, his Megadigidestined armor replacing his normal clothes. His armor looked like Cody's, except it had a purple cape, and no helmet. Tentomon also got his color back.  
  
"Woah, neat!" Tentomon exclaimed. "That was just like in that movie, The Wizard of Frogs!"  
  
"That's 'The Wizard of Oz'," TK corrected. Then he turned to Blue, "Does this door lead to where we need to be?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
They went through the right door, confedent that they weren't walking to their certain doom.  
  
"See, that was a lot easier than you made it out to be," Agumon told Tai in a know-it-all tone.  
  
"Foo. How come Izzy's all in living color, and I'm livin' in shades of grey?"  
  
"Izzy passed his test, but don't worry, you'll get yours."  
  
"Whatever!"  
  
Cody rolled his eyes, "Not one for patience, are you?"  
  
"He's upset because he's not the leader. He feels useless."  
  
"Ouch, TK, thanks for really hitting the nail on the head. How did you know that?"  
  
"You're too much like Davis, and he had that problem."  
  
"Thanks again," Tai knew how Davis had gone evil shortly after that. Then an idea hit him. "Hey, did any of you guys happen to ask Blue why we're here?"  
  
Long pause.  
  
"No," Izzy said slowly, and turned to do just that. The door slammed in his face. He kicked the door in anger and yelped in pain. "NO!"  
  
"Well," Patamon said in an inappropriately cheery voice, "There's no turning back now!"  
  
* * * *  
  
"Grr, I'm hungry!" Yolei growled.  
  
"I'm hot and sticky," Mimi complained.  
  
"I'm both, but let's try not to think about it," Sora told them.  
  
Mimi took off her hat and fanned herself with it. "We've been in this awful forest for hours, and it doesn't seem like we've gotten anywhere!"  
  
"It doesn't help that we don't have a clue where we're going," Kari said, looking about as tired as the others sounded.  
  
"I would sell almost anything I own for a berry bush," Yolei said, stepping around a thorny vine. It tried to grab her shoe, but she quickly got away from it. "Urgh, this place is creeping! Litterally! I'll be SO glad when this is over, so I can go home and TAKE A BATH!"  
  
"None of these plants look the slightest bit edible," Palmon said, looking horrified at the monster plant that had tried to grab Yolei. "In fact, they look kind of HUNGRY. And those that haven't tried to eat us looked poisonous."  
  
"At least nothing else has attacked us," Gatomon said, peering into the darkness of the forest.  
  
"I'm not sure that's such a good sign," Biyomon told her.  
  
Suddenly, out of the dark, black jungle appeared a clearing. And in this clearing sat a tall peach tree in full-blown color. The girls gasped at the sight of it, and stood there staring in disbelief. Slowly they walked up to it in a huddle.  
  
"The Wish Tree," Yolei read a sign hanging from one of its branches. She grabbed one of the soft, fuzzy peaches.  
  
Palmon looked at it for a while, unsure of what it was. "That's no ordinary peach."  
  
"Looks okay to me."  
  
"You really shouldn't eat something if you don't know what it is," Kari told her, fear in her voice.  
  
"But I'm starving! Look, I'll try this one and if I drop dead, you guys 'll know not to eat 'em."  
  
"Don't EVEN joke about something like that, Yolei," Mimi scolded, trying to take it away from her. "I don't like the looks of this thing. It looks too NICE!"  
  
"Aw, come off! Get your own!" Yolei turned around, and before Mimi (or anyone else for that matter) could stop her, she bit into it.  
  
"Don't!"  
  
"Too late," Sora muttered.  
  
Mimi threw her hat on the ground and stomped on it. "Yolei, do you realize how incredibly foolish that was?"  
  
"That really wasn't a good idea," Palmon agreed.  
  
Kari was the only one who wasn't obsessing over what Yolei had done, so she was the only one who noticed that something was wrong. She put her hand on Yolei's shoulder and asked quietly, "Are you alright?"  
  
Yolei stared at the peach and spoke in a dazed voice, "It tastes strange."  
  
"Oh, no! It really was too good to be true. I knew it!"  
  
She dropped the fruit. "What have I done?"  
  
Kari turned to the others, "What are we going to do?"  
  
That was the last thing Yolei heard before the world around her started to blurr.  
  
* * * *  
  
Commercial Break!  
  
Cody, Yolei, and Matt are standing around in the Digital World talking. They're in their Megadigidestined gear.  
  
Suddenly, there's a tremendous rumbling. They look around and spot a heard of digi eggs rolling down the hill. Yolei jumps into Cody's arms and shrieks as the eggs roll harmlessly past them.  
  
Cody: Ha! It's the running of the eggs!  
  
Matt: Well, if that isn't the most disturbing thing I've ever seen...  
  
Yolei (stops screaming and looks calmly at Matt): What about that gaint hot dog?  
  
Matt (slaps his forehead): This is TOO true.  
  
* * * *  
  
Yolei's brother handed her a drink with a little paper umbrella in it and asked, "Is there anything else I can get you?"  
  
"No," she said lazily, waving him away. Her two sisters fanned her with palm leaves. She smiled at them a took a sip of her drink. She didn't quite know what it was, but it sure was good.  
  
Her servant bowed and told her feet, "Princess, there are some suitors here to see you. What should I tell them?"  
  
"Send the first one in, Davis."  
  
He smiled and rushed to the end of the room. He threw open the doors and blew on his trumpet. (Part of the Digimon theme song, actually) "BRING IN THE FIRST SUITOR!"  
  
Yolei giggled. She loved getting suitors. "How do I look?"  
  
"Perfect, as always," her oldest sister told her, and her other siblings nodded in agreement.  
  
"Then LEAVE ME!"  
  
They scurried from her sight.  
  
"You too, Davis!"  
  
Davis bowed and backed out of the room. Yolei ran her fingers through her hair and layed down on her couch.  
  
The first suitor entered and looked nervously around. He was dressed completely in royal blue velvet. The color matched his hair and eyes perfectly.  
  
"Name?"  
  
He bowed at the stairs leading up to her couch, "Prince Kindness, my lady." Then he took her hand and kissed it.  
  
"Well, Kindness, what do you have to offer me?"  
  
He looked up at her with those beautiful blue eyes and spoke softly, "If you were my queen, I'd give you all the knowledge in the world."  
  
Not quite what she'd expected from someone with a name like Kindness.  
  
"Okay, uh, wait outside, please. And bring in the next suitor."  
  
He left, and a few minutes later, another young man approached her. At first glance, he could not have looked more different than Kindness. He wore a simple brown shirt and plumb-colored pants, both completely covered in dirt. He carried a walking stick and his hair looked like he hadn't combed it in weeks.  
  
"Excuse me, WHERE'S my next suitor?"  
  
"I am him, Princess," he responded. He walked up to her with an air of purpose.  
  
"And who are you, to be courting me?"  
  
"My name is Cody, your Highness. I've traveled across the world to meet you."  
  
"Cody? Do you have a title?"  
  
He bowed to the floor, "No, I do not."  
  
She laughed harshly, "Then why should I even give you the time of day, little boy? What can you possibly offer me?"  
  
He stared up at her with striking green eyes that made him seem wise beyond his years. He told her with despiration in his voice, "Love, my queen. I would love you with all my heart. I would take care of you when you are sick, and talk with you when you need a friend."  
  
Now, THAT is what she had expected from Kindness.  
  
He took her hand with surpising gentleness and continued, "I don't have much, but I offer you everything. My protection, my life, my heart."  
  
She stared at him. Could this traveler be a better suitor than the Prince? He had nothing, but still... Would Prince Kindness treat her with the same devotion? Could he really make her happy?  
  
"Rise, Cody," she told him.  
  
He did.  
  
She studied him a little more closely, then called for Kindness. The two looked very similar, dispite their difference in social class. There was something familiar about both of them, but she couldn't recall what it was.  
  
"I have made my decision," she told them.  
  
"Wait!" A high-pitched voice called. A girl with pink hair burst into the room, wearing a green dress with a tear-drop on the front. "Stop, Yolei, none of this is real!"  
  
"Who are you to come barging into my room like this?"  
  
The girl pushed past Kindness and Cody (both looking violated), to shake Yolei violently. "You ate a peach and it's put you under a spell! None of this is real. Cody, Ken, this room, none of it! Remember, Yolei. Snap out of it!"  
  
Suddenly, she did remember. She was a part of the Megadigidestined, not some princess.  
  
As soon as she realized this, her make-believe world shattered into millions of pieces. Only the girl remained in the darkness.  
  
"Thank you, Mimi."  
  
She let go of Yolei, "Good. I was starting to get worried."  
  
Yolei looked at Mimi's dress and recognized the Crest of Sincerity. "You're a Megadigidestined now, aren't you?"  
  
"Yep! Isn't this exciting?"  
  
She looked around, "Uh, where are we?"  
  
A voice called from the mist, "You're certainly not in Kansas anymore!"  
  
* * * *  
  
After climbing the stairs, the 'Silver Group' found themselves in an endless passageway. It just kept going, and going, and going...And going.  
  
"This is so boring!" Gomamon whinned. "I almost wish something would attack us."  
  
Joe looked down at him, worried. "Don't even kid about something like that, you'll jinx us."  
  
"Hey," Matt yelped, and dug around in his jacket pocket. He pulled out his old harmonica. "Lookie what I have with me! Any requests?...No?" The others shook their heads unenthusiastically. So Matt just played the first thing that came to mind, not quite knowing what it was.  
  
After wandering down the passageway for another ten minutes, Matt fell into his zone. "Hey, this is pretty catchy!" Gomamon started a little wiggle. Soon the Digimon started dancing in a line.  
  
"This is just how I made up Turn Around. I was messing around one day, bored out of my mind, and..." Matt changed the tune a little, speeding it up. "You've got a boy and a girl, sittin' underneath a tree. They sit there every day. And even though you may think that's just the way that things should be, it may not always be that way. Hey! Ya can't take nothin' for granted. You've got-ta live life today! I turn around and I can see what's behind me, I turn back around and I can see what's ahead. And if you don't believe that I've been here all along, just turn around. Just turn aro-ow-und!"  
  
"I haven't heard that one in a while," Davis told him. "Not since June stopped listing to your CD."  
  
Matt paused. "That reminds me, I ran into her today."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Yeah. She seems so different from the way I remember her. What happened?"  
  
Davis shook his head, not really wanting to think about it. "Well, she got into a bad relationship. The guy, uh, hurt her pretty badly."  
  
"How so?"  
  
He didn't answer right away. When he finally spoke, he lowered his voice, "He... Beat her."  
  
Everyone stared, the silence thick.  
  
Davis continued, "Their relationship lasted about a year before she got enough sense to get away from him. She's never been quite the same since."  
  
Matt thought back to the dead look in her eyes, her harsh tone 'It's nothing YOU need to be conserned with'. "I had absolutely no idea. When did this happen?"  
  
"She just got the restraning order against him last month."  
  
Matt looked away, suddenly extremely ashamed of himself. "Boy do I feel like an idiot."  
  
"Why are you suddenly so conserned with my sister anyway?"  
  
He shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure. Have...This will sound weird, but have you ever been drawn to a person because somehow you just know you're meant to help them?"  
  
"Yes." Ken threw a questioning look at Davis, who nodded. "I think that sort of thing happens a lot. More than we realize."  
  
"I think that happened today. Kinda like..." He snorted, "Love at first sight, only two years too late."  
  
"You are NOT talking about June!"  
  
"Oh, but I am. Isn't that the most ridiculous thing you've ever heard? I know I can't make any sense out of it. One look in her eyes and I wanted to comfort her, you know? Give her a hug, or something."  
  
Davis shook his head, an amused smile crossing his face. "Matt, you are bold. You do realize she is not going to let you anywhere near her, right? Especially if you're just on the pity parade."  
  
"I don't DO the 'pity parade', thank you."  
  
The passageway ended, opening up into a clearing. Davis put a little space between him and Matt. "She might see things differently, that's all I'm saying."  
  
"Hey, guys, come look at this." Ken pointed to a sign posted on a large pair of doors in front of them.  
  
"One thing in mind if you want to pass,  
Remember that music shall soothe the savage beast,  
and all you have to do is DANCE!"  
  
"Bad poetry," Matt mumbled.  
  
"So what does it mean?" Davis asked. "What beast?"  
  
Joe swallowed hard, trying not to let his fear show through. "I don't know about you, but I sure don't want to find out."  
  
The ground shook three times, then stopped. Silence.  
  
"Okay, what was that?"  
  
A hole opened up right where the sign used to be.  
  
"Cool!" Davis started towards the opening.  
  
"Wait!" Ken came between him and the exit. "There's something suspicious about this hole. Awfully convinent, don't you think?"  
  
Davis had absolutely no answer, because what he saw looming in the space beyond erased all thoughts from his mind. His eyes went wide with terror. "Ken, move."  
  
A shadow fell over them, and before one can say 'dinner of two', they'd run to the other side of the stone enclosure.  
  
A twenty-foot tall, three-headed canine monster lumbered in through the hole in the doors. Each head acted independently, sniffing the air. Slowly, each one turned to the group that was huddled in the corner and stared at them with hungry red eyes.  
  
"Is that a D-Digimon?" Davis choked out.  
  
"No," Veemon answered gravely. "I don't know WHAT that is."  
  
"It's the three-headed dog of the Underworld!"  
  
Everyone stared at Ken.  
  
The thing barked at them with a voice that shook the walls and bounded over to them in two steps. It would have swallowed them all, but Ken held up his hand and it smacked into the sheild. "Do something, quick, before my energy gives out!"  
  
The other three guys grabbed their Digivices. "Digivolve!"  
  
"Gabumon digivolve to..."  
  
"Gomamon digivolve to..."  
  
"Veemon digivolve to..."  
  
"Garurumon!"  
  
"Ikkumon!"  
  
A funky croaking noise came out of Davis's D-3, and nothing happened. While Garurumon and Ikkumon charged into battle he shook it viggorously. "Come on! Digivolve!"  
  
Veemon twirled around, but the noise happened again and the orange light under him quickly faded. "What's going on?"  
  
"I don't know!" Worry started to show on his face, but he refused to give up. "Digi-Armor Energize!"  
  
Again, no good.  
  
He fell to his knees. "The Digi-Egg of Courage won't respond to me. I really don't have that crest any more."  
  
Ken's sheild flickered and went out. He turned to Davis. "Keep trying. I'll cover for you. Morph Digivolve!" He transformed into a strange hybrid of Ken and Stingmon, then sprouted wings and joined the battle. The others were just slightly creeped out about it, but were glad for the help.  
  
Veemon hopped around impatiently, whinning, "Come on, Davis. Try the Digi-Egg of Friendship. I want to help!"  
  
He lept to his feet. "All right, then. Digi-Armor Energize!"  
  
"Veemon Armor Digivolve to..."  
(He merged with the Digi-Egg of Friendship in a burst of blue electricity. Gabumon's Digi-volutions through MetalGarurumon flashed momentarily in the background.)  
"Raidramon, the Storm of Friendship!"  
  
Davis pointed to the nasty doggie as it slapped Garurumon, who looked awfully small in compairison. "Go get 'em, Raidramon!"  
  
Raidramon roared a war-cry and lept into battle.  
  
After another ten minutes of fighting, it became appearent that this thing would not be easily defeated.  
  
Matt began to shake with rage. "Ugh, we haven't even phased him! Ken, how do we stop this thing? What's it's weakness?"  
  
Ken narrowly ducked the monster's massive paw. "How should I know?"  
  
"You knew what it was!"  
  
"Yeah, so?" Again, he missed getting mauled. "Wait, MUSIC! Just like the sign said. 'Music shall soothe the savage beast'. Sing to it!"  
  
"Are you kidding?"  
  
"No! I think we have to preform for it."  
  
"'And all you have to do is dance'. Brilliant!" Matt retrieved his harmonica. "Does everyone know the Electric Slide?"  
  
"Uh, not really. I'm not much of a dancer." Joe, of course.  
  
"It's easy, just follow my lead," Davis told him.  
  
"Okay, so when I start playing, I want everyone to start dancing. That goes for the Digimon as well. Just do what you were doing earlier. And pray this works." He took a deep breath a played the new fast version of Turn Around. The Digimon de-Digivolved and they all began their line dance.  
  
Immediately, the beast stopped fighting and sat down to watch them. It tapped it's doggie feet to the beat. Satisfied after two minutes, it moved.  
  
Matt motioned for them to go, and quietly they filed through the exit.  
  
"I'm glad that's over," Ken said. He took a step and a hole opened up under him.  
  
Davis went to dive in after him, but the ground closed back up and he fell flat on his face. "Ken! NOOO!"  
  
  
Is Ken lost forever?  
Will Yolei and Mimi escape their new enemy?  
And will Izzy ever figure out where they're going?  
  
Find out in the next episode of Digimon: A Bigger Threat-  
"Labrynth Island Part 3" 


	13. Labyrinth Island Part 3

Digimon: A Bigger Threat  
Episode 13-  
"Labrynth Island Part 3"  
  
By: Shmeilia Rockie  
  
  
"Where do you think he went?"  
  
"I don't know," Matt frowned. "But right now I'm parched."  
  
"That means you're nervous," Joe commented off-handedly.  
  
"How so?"  
  
He shrugged, "Dunno. Saw it on TV once."  
  
Matt narrowed his eyes, "Are you impling something?"  
  
"Nooo... Just making conversation."  
  
Davis leaned against a moss-covered statue, emotionally drained by the loss of his best friend. Or maybe he was just permantly drained because he only had half a soul. "You aren't blaming yourself for what happened, are you, Matt?"  
  
Matt didn't respond, just looked away.  
  
"'Cause, you know, that's supposed to be my job. I take all the blame. He was standing right next to me, and I couldn't do anything. He's probably dead now, and it's all my fault. That's the second time today I failed to-"  
  
"All right, Davis, that's enough!" Matt snapped. "Yes, I do blame myself. I was trying really hard to be a good leader, and I failed. I couldn't save Ken, I couldn't even boost morale, and I HAVEN'T GOT THE FOGGIEST CLUE WHERE WE ARE!"  
  
Davis shrank away from him, until he litteraly hid behind the statue. That was a very un-Davis-like thing to do. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to tick you off!"  
  
But Matt wasn't done. He sat down on a rock and burried his face in his hands. "And look at me! I can't help feeling like I'm fading into the scenery. It just keeps getting worse and worse. Like eventually I'll disappear all together." Indeed, he seemed awfully pale.  
  
Gabumon patted his head. "It's the energy of this place. It just radiates a feeling of doom and dispare. I know I sound cliché, but it's not just you. I feel it too. This is one of the most evil places in the universe."  
  
"When will it stop?"  
  
"When you become a Megadigidestined," Joe told him quietly.  
  
"GREAT, when will that happen?"  
  
"I don't know. When you pass your test, I guess."  
  
"But wasn't beating that dog a test?"  
  
Davis crept out from behind the statue. "It was a test, but it wasn't THE test. Your's will have something to do with your crest, Friendship."  
  
Matt eyed the crest on Davis's armor, "What was yours?"  
  
Davis looked at the scar on his hand and blushed, "I don't want to talk about it."  
  
This got a snort out of Matt.  
  
"Besides," he added quickly, "I don't think your test will be the same as mine."  
  
"Hey, guys, look who I found!" It was Tai, also still in dull colors.  
  
"Nice work," Cody told him. Then he turned to Izzy, "See, I told you. Everything will be answered in time."  
  
"Hey, guys, how's it goin'?"  
  
Matt groaned.  
  
Tai made a disappointed face. "It's good to see you too, Matt."  
  
"EX-CUSE ME! FOR YOUR INFO, I LOST KEN!"  
  
There was a collective "WHAT?" from the gold group.  
  
"The ground just opened up and swallowed him!"  
  
"You lost someone too, huh?" Kari asked casually, popping out of seemingly no where. "We lost Yolei AND Mimi."  
  
Sora jumped into Tai's arms and began crying. "I don't know what happened to them! They ate some diseased peaches and disappeared."  
  
Desprite to stop her wailing, Tai rubbed her back. He made a face like he was trying to swallow some nasty medicine. "Calm down, Sora. It will be okay. We'll find them."  
  
"But, but, but..." She whimpered almost TOO convencingly.  
  
Matt rolled his eyes and looked away. She was over-reacting, just to make him jealous. He had thought she was more mature than that, but now he knew the truth.  
  
"I lost Mimi-ee-hee-ee!" Palmon shrieked, also crying her eyes out.  
  
* * * *  
  
Ken sat up, suddenly remembering he'd fallen down a hole. He couldn't see anything, but the air was musty and cold. "Great. Where am I?"  
  
Surprisingly, a familiar voice answered, "You're in an obliette."  
  
"W-what am I doing here?"  
  
Darkness struck a match, illuminating his face in an eeire way. "I brought you here." He lit a lamp and waved the match out.  
  
Suddenly, Ken could see again. He looked around the cave-like area for a way out.  
  
"In case you're wondering, there aren't any doors. Only the hole...And me."  
  
"Oh, that makes me feel SO much better," he mumbled.  
  
"Sarcastic, aren't we? I like that." Darkness cracked the award-winning smile, sending a chill through Ken's very existance. On the side, he added with distinct bitterness, "Emperor."   
  
Ken was half way through asking "What do you people want with me?" before he realized what Darkness had just called him. Naturally, his eyes went wide with a mixture of surprise and anger. Darkness just laughed at him.  
  
"You look like a bird when you get angry, you know that, don't you? Always have."  
  
That made his blood run cold. Sam used to tell him that when he was little, but that was because Sam didn't like to see him angry. It was supposed to make him laugh.  
  
Ken didn't feel like laughing now.  
  
Darkness pulled out the chair and calmly sat at the stone table. After he brushed the hair out of his eyes, he put the tips of his fingers together and said in a voice distinctly Sam's, "It's been a long time, Kenny-boy."  
  
He was still speachless, but with some extreme effort, he managed to force his mind to work again. He leaned forward, the light casting a shadow over his unusually pale face. He spoke slowly, "You...Are NOT my brother."  
  
Darkness stared at him with an unreadable expression for what felt like a very long time. Finally, he bowed his head, "I know, Kindness. I know. Sometimes I forget, though. It's hard."  
  
"I bet." (Use of extreme sarcasm here)  
  
"No, really. Sometimes I wake up and I don't remember who I really am. Sometimes I think I'm sharing my room with my clingy little brother, then I remember that I don't HAVE a brother. Every once in a while I sign my name on my homework, then realize that the name I signed was not Justin Harvey. My parents swear I'm crazy. They don't even talk to me anymore. Not that I care, but it's the principle of the thing."  
  
Ken raised his eyebrows, trying to imagine what that felt like.  
  
"I, as Justin, grew up seeing you as an untouchable celebrity. The first time I heard your name...I was eight? I unwittingly pointed at the screen and yelled 'Kenny-boy? A genious? No way! He's as dumb as a brick!' I'd kept my secret until that moment, then I just couldn't stay quiet. I spent all my time trying to tell my parents that you were my brother, and they had my head examined.  
  
"It's odd having two sets of memories. I'm Justin. I'm Sam. I'm both, and yet neither. I am, simply, Darkness."  
  
"Why?" The question surprised Ken, but he went with it. "Did you think selling your soul would make you a big-shot?"  
  
Any trace of humor vanished from Darkness's face. He burned holes through Ken for a moment before speaking in a deadly quiet voice, "I didn't have a soul until Keesma saved me. I was a fluke, accidentally born without a life essence. I was the weakest child alive, always sick. I didn't care about a thing. Nothing. I was nothing. Now, I have purpose."  
  
"You are her slave. You realize that don't you?"  
  
Suddenly, Darkness exploded in rage, "I don't care! Nothingness, or um, eternal servitude to the woman that gave me life? Hmm, THAT'S a difficult decision!"  
  
A surprising feeling washed over Ken, and it slightly disturbed him. He looked Darkness in the eye and whispered, "I feel sorry for you."  
  
"YOU SHOULD FEEL SORRY FOR YOUR GOOD-FOR-NOTHING FRIENDS!" With a wave from Darkness's hand the table disappeared and was replaced with a window on a dark fog-filled room.  
  
* * * *  
  
"Merissa?"  
  
"My, my, my, dear cousin. It has been a long time," Hate jumped off the stone pillar and landed nicely on her feet in front of Yolei and Mimi. She smiled at Yolei's horror.  
  
Hate looked almost exactly like Yolei, except her hair was dark blue, almost black. And she was a bit shorter, but that was probably due to the difference in their ages.  
  
Yolei's shock turned into suspecion. She narrowed her eyes, "What are YOU doing here?"  
  
"Couldn't let you have all the fun, now could I?"  
  
"You've always gotta out-do me, don't you Meriss?" She turned to a clueless Mimi, "She thinks she's better than I am."  
  
"THAT'S BECAUSE I AM!"  
  
Mimi, appalled by this sudden outburst, decided to put her foot down. "You're a rotten, evil creature. You'll never be better than Yolei!"  
  
Hate's eye twitched, but she managed to react in a calm manner, "Who's the girlfriend?"  
  
Yolei opened her mouth to say something incredibly nasty, but Mimi held up her hand, "Don't even give her that satisfaction."  
  
*snicker* "You gonna let her order you around like that?"  
  
"When you argue back, you're letting her control you."  
  
"Shut up, the both of you!" She glared at her over-acheiving cousin. "You always were a brat, but I never thought you'd stoop so low as becoming one of the Dark Digidestined. Which one are you? Annoyance?"  
  
"HATE!" Hate roared, shaking. "Duh, I hate your very BEING!"  
  
"The feeling's quite mutal," Yolei mumbled. "Believe me, I hate you too."  
  
"Would you care to do something about it, Goodie-Goodie?"  
  
"I'm not stooping that low." The words came out slowly. Hate's magic was working.  
  
"Parrot," Hate spat.  
  
That was it. "Morph Digi-Armor Energize!"  
  
In a flash of green light, Yolei had once again merged with her Digimon.  
  
"Arkie, get your butt out here!"  
  
Arukenimon popped out from behind the column and yawned loudly, "Yeah, Hate, what is it?"  
  
Hate pointed wildly at Yolei, "Beat her up for ME-EE!"  
  
"Yeah, whatever." Arukenimon stretched like she was in no big hurry and pulled a hair from her head. She stared at it, then shoved it into the pillar. It suddenly animated, grew legs and charged at Yolei. As the shadow of a giant moving pillar-monster fell over her, she gulped feeling suddenly small. At the last second she grabbed Mimi by the wrist and ran away as quickly as she could.  
  
"I wish the others were here!" Mimi shrieked as they scampered for their lives.  
  
* * * *  
  
Commercial Break!  
  
The Digimon are standing around in a cluster, their heads thrown back, gargling. They each have a carton of milk in one hand and a bottle of chocolate syrup in the other.  
  
Matt, Yolei, Cody, Tai and Izzy enter and stare at the group with wide eyes for a few seconds.  
  
Matt (shakes his head): Now I have seen EVERYTHING.  
He starts to walk off.  
  
Cody (A goofy grin spreads over his face): Hey, Matt, isn't that the most disturbing thing you've ever seen?  
  
Matt (turns around, points at Cody with one eye squeezed closed and speaks in a fed up voice): No, I have seen the giant hot dog. Seriously, I think can die now.  
  
He disappears from view.  
  
The words 'Got Chocolate Milk?' flash inappropriately on the screen.  
  
Tai (stares at the gargling Digimon for a few seconds with a blank look on his face before asking): What giant hot dog?  
  
* * * *  
  
Suddenly, they appeared out of nowhere about two feet off the ground and fell not-so-lightly onto their butts. All except for Ken, who was nowhere to be seen. Before they had time to be confused, Yolei and Mimi flew by in a blurr and yelled for them to head for the hills. They turned in unison, saw the Pillar-Monster charging at them and gasped.  
  
Agumon and Gabumon jumped in front of the others, "Show time, guys!"  
  
Things began to get confusing.  
  
"Agumon Warp Digivolve to..."  
"Gabumon Warp Digivolve to..."  
  
Cody slammed his staff on the ground and grabbed his D-3. "TK, Kari, Morph Digivolve!"  
  
They held their D-3's high over their heads and screamed, "Morph Digivolve!" The digivices shattered into millions of pieces, spiralled down their arms and were absorbed. At the same time...  
"Patamon Warp Digivolve to..."  
"Gatomon Warp Digivolve to..."  
"Armadillomon Digivolve to..."  
  
"WarGreymon!"  
"MetalGarurumon!"  
  
"Hey, guys, let's not let them have all the fun!" Gomamon called to all the left over people/digimon.  
  
Joe nodded, "Go to it!"  
  
"Gomamon Digivolve to..."  
"Byiomon Digivolve to..."  
"Tentomon Digivolve to..."  
  
"Serphimon!"  
"Magnadramon!  
"Ankilomon!"  
At this point, they merged with their Megadigidestined parners in a flash of colored light.  
  
Yolei ran by shreiking, dragging poor Mimi along behind her. Mimi squeezed her eyes shut and yelled, "I wish Palmon was here!"  
  
POOF! Palmon was in her arms, extremely confused. "Mimi?"  
  
"Palmon! I...I..." The reality of what she'd just done dawned on her.  
  
"Let's go, it's time to stop running!"  
  
Mimi wrinched herself free of Yolei, who surprisingly didn't notice. She skidded to a halt in front of the monster. "Go!"  
  
"Palmon Digivolve to..."  
  
"Zudomon!"  
"Garudamon!"  
"MegaKabuterrimon!"  
  
"Come on, Davis!" Veemon whined.  
  
Davis swallowed hard, an unreasonable amount of fear threating to overwhelm him. "Digi-Armor Energize!"  
  
"Veemon Armor Digivolve to..."  
  
"Lillymon!"  
"Raidramon, the Storm of Friendship!"  
  
"Hey, guys, they're trying to win!" Hate called out into the darkness.  
  
Chaos stepped out of the shadows, followed by her big lumbering Kimeramon that surprisingly wore saftey goggles. She was followed by Fear, who's Digimon-DemiDevimon-hadn't Digivolved yet. Instead, he hid behind Fear in shame. Lust burst onto the scene with confetti and lights and glitter, and oh yeah, LadyDevimon. There was a pause and they realized They were missing a member.  
  
"Oh, freak, that Apathy!" Lust cursed, shaking her fists and jumping up and down like a spoiled child, "I bet he fell asleep again!"  
  
She marched off screen and a big 'thump' could be heard followed by two different voices yelling 'Ow!' She returned, followed by Apathy and...Mummymon?  
  
"Cody?" TK said.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"This is 'All-Holy-TK'" And he charged into battle, screaming at the top of his lungs.  
  
Then the real fighting started.  
  
* * * *  
  
Ken collapsed next to the viewing portal, shaking with the dread of not being able to help his friends. The battle became one big blur with flashes of light and screams everywhere. Arukenimon animated things left and right, sending a wave of horrible monsters at our heros who had their hands full with the Dark Digidestined as it was. The viewing portal acted like a very slow computer, the unfolding scene was choppy and slightly blurred.  
  
The image did a close-up of Tai. He'd been chased by a boulder-moster, but decided he wasn't going to run anymore. He skidded to a halt and held his hands out to his sides, seemingly ready embrace the monster. It came within five feet of him, hit a wall of fire, and dissentigrated.  
  
"Woah, no way!" Fear shouted, as WarGreymon loomed over him. "Hate, do something!"  
  
Out of nowhere, Hate drew out a long nasty looking weapon. The end split open into fourths and before anyone realized was going on, she fired an energy bast at Tai. He blinked and put his hand over the hole in his side, a look of total disbelief on his face. Without making a sound, he fell over.  
  
"Tai!" WarGreymon started to rush to his friend's side, but Mummymon stopped him with a way-too powerful 'snake bandage' attack.  
  
Matt and Sora rushed over to help, but it was too late.  
  
Ken blinked his wide terrified eyes and a single tear ran down his cheek. "This is all my fault."  
  
"That's right," Darkness whispered triumphantly into Ken's ear. "You should have been able to do something. After all you are the Key."  
  
"The Key..." Ken repeated as he looked down the portal at the grim scene. He shook his head, "I should have been able to stop this."  
  
"I'm sorry," Tai said, his vision getting fuzzy. "I didn't think..."  
  
"No, Tai, stay with us!" Sora gasped, taking a hold of his cold hand. "I can't stand to loose you. I-I love you too much."  
  
He let go, unconsious.  
  
"Do something, Matt!" Sora shrieked.  
  
Matt's eyes were wide with horror and rapidly filling with tears. His mind snapped then over the loss of his friend. He took a couple of deep breaths and stood up. Slowly, he turned to Hate (who still had the blaster pointed at him) with a look of a ruthless thirst for vengance hardening on his features. His beautiful blue eyes were cold and almost evil. She smiled, taking total credit for this hate. "Aww, I'm sorry. Did I do that?"  
  
"You killed my best friend," he told her with deadly quiet in his voice. "Now you will pay."  
  
"What can you do?" She jerked the weapon to show him who was boss.  
  
"Give it here!" Mimi held out her hand and even though she was several hundred feet away, the weapon appeared in her hands.  
  
Hate gasped as the weapon disappeared. "Hey, no fair!"  
  
"What you did to Tai wasn't fair," she screamed and pointed the blaster at Hate.  
  
Hate just laughed arrogantly and put her hands on her hips. "You wouldn't even fire that thing, girlie, you don't have the guts."  
  
Just then, the rock beside her exploded. "Just be happy I don't have very good aim!"  
  
Hate opened her mouth to say something horrible to Mimi when Matt interrupted her. "Enough!"  
  
He held out his hands and blasted her with a cold wind, freezing her on the spot. He viciously kicked the block of ice over, sending it shattering to the floor.  
  
"You killed my cousin!" Yolei said in awe as she ran to Tai. She held her hands out to Matt. "Thank you! You have absolutely no idea how miserable she made me!"  
  
"She was a filthy demon," he told her coldly, nealing beside her. His voice softened a bit. "Can you help him, or is it too late?"  
  
She held her hands over Tai's body. "I don't know, but I will try." A warm red light glowed from her fingertips, but quickly died. She tried it again, with no success. Defeated, she looked away. "I-I can't heal the dead."  
  
"But you brought Cody back!"  
  
She sniffed and tried again with the same affect. "But Cody was still sort of in there. Besides, he wasn't injured. I'm afraid Tai is...I'm afraid he's gone."  
  
On the other side of the room, another battle raged.  
  
Kimeramon blasted the group of Digimon, sending them scattering.  
  
"We can't keep this up much longer!" MegaKabuterrimon rasped.  
  
MetalGarurumon hit the far wall and bounced back. "What are we going to do? Our attacks aren't even phasing it!"  
  
Lilymon picked herself up off the ground and winced at a pain in her shoulder. One of her wings was crumpled. "It's like this thing has no weakness. It's more like a machine than a living Digimon!"  
  
"We need to regroup," MetalGarurumon ordered. He was so busy barking orders that he didn't notice Kimeramon powering up another attack. Raidramon did, and pushed MetalGarurumon out of the way of the blast, taking the full blow of it himself.  
  
"Raidramon, no!" Davis cried, sheilding his eyes from the light of the explosion. When the smoke cleared he ran to his fallen friend. He put his arms around the wolf's burned head and cried.  
  
"Davis..."  
  
"Don't leave me, Raidramon! I-I need you. I don't know what I'm doing."  
  
Raidramon coughed once and smiled up at the boy. "I'll never leave you, Davis. I'll always be here to guide you...if only in your...dreams."  
  
"But..." Raidramon broke up into pieces and fell over Davis, who drew his hands back, tears streaming down his face. It was as if his whole world shattered around him. "Wait, no! Don't go!"  
  
Chaos cackled at Davis. He stared at her for a long time with narrowed eyes. Suddenly an explosion of electricity urupted from him. It bounced in bolts around the entire enclosure, striking each of the evil Digimon, destroying them all. Even Kimeramon. It barely lasted thirty seconds before flickering and dying away. He panted strongly, wondering with the rest of them where that had come from.  
  
Lust took a look around and started to run for the hills. Matt grabbed her by the wrist and penned her to the wall. She managed a weak seductive smile, "Oh, are you trying to play tough with me, Matt?"  
  
"Don't even think about it, child. I have half a mind to freeze you like a did to Hate."  
  
Chaos landed on her butt and shrieked at the others, "He destroyed our Digimon. Let's make him pa-ay!"  
  
Fear and Apathy ran to help her. They backed the weakened Davis into a corner and held out their Digivices, blasting him with dark energy. His eyes clouded over as he began absorbing their essences.  
  
"No!" Ken stood up, fists clenched. "Not Davis. I won't let you hurt Davis!"  
  
"What can you do about it?"  
  
Ken waved his arms wildly. "Are you forgetting, I am the Key? I control the Power Orb, I can do whatever I want!"  
  
With that a pure white light flooded the room. Ken stood transformed, wearing the white armor of a Freedom Spirit. He grew three pairs of pure white wings. His hair and eyes were wild. The Power Orb floated in front of him, radiating it's wonderful light.  
  
"Ah, so you figured out how to control it," Darkness said calmly. "Now we will finally see you worthy of it you really are." He closed his eyes and transformed into the direct opposite of Ken. With black wings and black armor, he radiated dark energy.  
  
Together they jumped through the portal and ended up above the battle scene.  
  
Darkness drew a long sickle from nowhere and charged at Ken. Ken barely had time to block with his sheild, let alone react to the threat. By the time he drew his own sickle, the other had dropped down to where the other Dark Digidestined stood over Davis and threw a sheild around them. Ken banged into it repeatedly, but with no progress. Darkness smiled triumphantly up at him. Davis began howling as they finished pouring their essences into him.  
  
Suddenly, a rip in space opened up. Keesma reached through the rip and pulled Darkness through. It closed back up. With the sheild gone, Ken got to them. He made good use of his mighty sickle as Davis collapsed, overwhelmed.  
  
Suddenly, all was quiet.  
  
Ken stood over Tai and put a finger to the wound. It healed instantly. He commanded, "Get up, Courage. You're still needed." Tai's eyes fluttered open and he climbed to his feet, confused. He, as well as Matt and Sora were officially Megadigidestined.  
  
Everyone de-digivolved. Ken floated over to Davis and picked him up as easily as if the boy were a feather. He turned to the Megadigidestined. "Let's go home."  
  
Matt weakly shook Lust's arm. "What about this one?"  
  
"She has been spared. Bring her with us."  
  
With that, they went back to the Digital World.  
  
  
Is this the end of their quest?  
Find out in the next episode of Digimon: A Bigger Threat  
"A Future Wide Open" 


	14. A Future Wide Open

A Bigger Threat:  
Episode 14:  
"A Future Wide Open"  
  
By: Shmeilia Rockie  
  
*A/N Okay, here's the last chapter. But don't be sad, my friends, I am attempting another 'Season' of my 'show'! It's going extremely slow, though, so it might be a while. Tankies to all that have read this far, for keeping an open mind. Especially thanks to Ken's Luver, (my biggest fan, who's been anxiously awaiting this chapter for a very long time) and Falconess, (my bestest, best friend in the whole wide world) for reviewing my every chapter. Maybe soon I'll post that first episode of the next season. I dunno. I'm not satisfied with it. Anyway, enjoy the last episode of 'A Bigger Threat'.*  
  
  
  
The gentle breeze blew softly over the newly restored Digital World, whispering a pleasant babble to the Freedom Spirits as a reassurance of the perfect future. Still, something lingered in the air, building tension. The others couldn't sense it. Their eyes half-closed in united laziness. Willis looked at Michael questioningly, wondering if he felt it too, but the other remained silent. His cold eyes stared in the direction of the ruins of the Dark Castle with appearant disgust.  
  
"At least THEY won't be coming back," Michael muttered.  
  
"The Dark Digidestined?" Willis couldn't help whispering, the air felt so heavy. Sleepy, even.  
  
"Filthy demons." He gripped his staff tighter, regretting not being able to do more.  
  
The wind blew with unexpected force and a hot white light burst from a spot directly in front of them. POP! The Megadigidestined appeared out of thin air and landed with a hard thud.  
  
The tension shattered, Michael let out a very uncharacteristic yelp and flew sideways into Willis who also screamed like a little kid.  
  
Then they noticed Ken staring angrly and sweatdropped. They quickly regained their composure before any of the Megadigidestined noticed.  
  
Ken-the-Key/Freedom Spirit was not amused. "How dare you let your gaurds fall asleep."  
  
With a weary glance, they discovered the others had indeed fallen asleep with wings folded around them like blankets.  
  
"Up!" The Key clapped his hands once and the Freedom Spirits snorted awake. He turned his furious gaze back to Michael and Willis. "You do NOT deserve this position."  
  
Realizing where this was going, Cody chose that time to pose the question everyone was dying to ask, but didn't dare: "So is it over?"  
  
The Key sighed reluctantly, "No, I'm afraid it's only just begun. Much more must happen before we can acheive Paradise."  
  
His eyes fell to Davis, who looked horribly sick in the arms of Kindness. A shadow had fallen over his green face; he looked quite dead, spare his weak, shallow breathing. "Poor Friend, they cursed him before I could stop them. He'll suffer for the rest of his life."  
  
Yolei stood up and touched Davis's cold forehead. "Isn't there anything we can do?"  
  
The Key shook his head and laid Davis gently on the ground. "No, he must remain this way. It's necessary for future events. He must suffer. He must." It seemed he was trying to reassure himself as much as everyone else. "I would...But this is just how it must be."  
  
"We didn't expect to see you again, Megadigidestined," Willis said in Kari's direction. She smiled. "See, we don't know everything."  
  
"Hey, I hate to interrupt," Matt interrupted. He shook Lust so she yelped in fear, "but should we do with her?"  
  
Michael almost spit out a nasty comment, but the Key spoke first, "Let her go. She too has a part in the future."  
  
Matt shrugged and relased her. She scampered like a frightened rabbit into the woods.  
  
They watched her flight until the darkness of the forest consumed her completely. Then the Key turned to Matt, Tai, Sora, Izzy, and Joe. Their Digimon sat panting at their feet. He motioned to them and spoke, "The time of parting has come, my friends. Say your good-byes; you won't see them again until the very end."  
  
They took a private moment with their Digimon, then reluctantly stood up. Matt preoccupied himself with brushing some dirt off his cape, Tai suddenly decided he needed to smooth out his hair, Sora pushed some dirt around with the toe of her boot. Izzy, Mimi and Joe waited quietly for orders.  
  
"Hold your Digivices over the Digimon." They did exactly that. The Key waved his staff and the Digimon broke into a million pieces and became absorbed by the Digidestined. Just like that, they were gone. "Now we can go home, but keep an eye out for Keesma's demons. They've invaded the Real World too."   
  
"Wait," Cody frowned. "I thought you already destroyed her demon army."  
  
The Key shook his head distractedly, then turned to Micheal and Willis and dropped his staff at their feet. They looked questioningly at him. "I'm afraid I must give up the Power Orb. It gives too much power for one person to handle. It's corrupting me. Would you take care of it for me until the time has come for me to..." He trailed off, looking apologeticalliy at them.  
  
They glanced nervously at each other, communicating telepathically.   
  
"Sure," Willis finally said, smiling. "We understand. And we will protect it with our souls."  
  
The Key held out his hands and the Power Orb materialized in a burst of dazzling white light that made everyone gasp. His armor turned back into regular Megadigidestined gear. His wings faded away, and he landed gently on his feet. Painfully, he shut his eyes and pulled his hands away. The Orb floated to the two Freedom Spirits, who made it disappear between them. After a moment of complete silence, he fell to one knee and let out a choking sob. He'd given up something very dear to him.  
  
The sickle on the grass disappeared in a puff of glitter.  
  
"May the Powers be with you, always," Micheal told them. With a wave of their staffs, the Megadigidestined teleported to the Real World.  
  
* * * *  
  
June answered the door and was greeted by a gigantic mound of roses. She stepped back starlted, sweatdropping. "C-Can I help you?"  
  
A pair of blue eyes popped over the top of the bouquet. "Hello June!"  
  
"Matt? Is that you?"  
  
"Yeah. June, I just-"  
  
She didn't even let him finish thinking, before yanking him inside. "Oh, I was so worried when you disappeared! Are you okay?"  
  
Matt lowered the bouquet so she could see the rest of his face. "I just wanted to appologize for doing that. The Digital World needed me."  
  
She looked at her socks and wiggled her toes self-consiously. "Oh, I-I wondered about that. Have you seen my brother lately? Was he there too?"  
  
Davis stumbled in the door looking quite literaly half-dead. He raised his hand and croaked, "Yeah, here I am." Then fell flat on the carpet.  
  
June yelped and quickly helped him to his feet. "Oh, my goodness, Davis! What happened to you?"  
  
"I don't wanna talk about it," Davis slurred. "I just want to go to bed."  
  
He shook her off and found his way to his room. After smacking into the doorframe, he slammed the door shut and collapsed on his bed. He sighed heavily and lost conciousness.  
  
June stared in a terrified silence at his door. Was that the same perky brother who asked her to pass the jelly at breakfast? This boy seemed more like a zombie.  
  
"He's had it rough," Matt whispered, his voice soft with compasion. That one weak moment would cost Davis for the rest of his life. She turned abruptly and stared at him demandingly. How did he get the job of telling June the brother she knew was dead? He fidgeted with the bouquet before asking, "Could I get a vase for these?"  
  
She ran into the kitchen and chucked a large glass at him impatiently. "Now talk!"  
  
* * * *  
  
The state Davis lay in was not sleep. He left his body behind and crossed over into the shadow-realm that was his mind. It always existed as a theoretically physical place, but he'd never been there. He'd never been so in tune with himself before.  
  
Fog surrounded him completely, pressing in on him. He felt small and alone, not to mention completely frightened out of his wit. Things unseen frolicked in the darkness beyond the fog, laughing not so innocently. Davis did the only thing he could think of; he called out for help. "Raidramon, I need you!"  
  
His voice echoed in the vast space and died to silence. He whimpered hopelessly.  
  
Then just as he sat down hard on a near-by rock, he heard a gruff voice that made him cry with relief, "Don't worry, Davis, I'm here! I'm just a little preoccupied at the moment." Several loud thumps resounded through the thick air and the familiar form of his Digimon partner trotted up to him, an affectionate but enormously overgrown puppy. He smiled, "I've been fighting them off, sorry it took so long."  
  
Davis rubbed Raidramon's muzzle. "Fighting what off?"  
  
"The Dark Digidestined: Fear, Chaos and Apathy. At least, their essences. Their...They're demons, you know. They wish to possess you, but they're only recordings of the demons, not actually the real things. They can only influence you, not take over, thanks to those chains around your neck."  
  
"And you're stuck fighting them off for me until I die?"  
  
Raidramon shook his head, a longing look twinkling in his eyes. "Until the coming of Paradise, which might actually be...a little while after you die."  
  
Davis's eyes glazed over, "I'm not going to live very long this way, am I? I can feel my strength ebbing away as we speak."  
  
"You'll only live half as long as you would have with both crests. You probably won't servive to your fortith birthday."  
  
That was considerabley longer than he expected, but still managed to frighten him to the core. He swallowed hard, "Y-you mean I'll be this way for twenty-six more years?"  
  
"More or less, yes. But it will only get worse, I'm sorry to tell you. My strength will deminish as yours does, and it will become harder for me to fight them."  
  
What could he say to that?  
  
Raidramon continued, "And no amount of medicine or scientific...stuff...will be able to put you out of your misery, either. Although you'll probably see enough doctors for five people, they won't be able to cure you because you're not really sick. You're just incomplete. It's a spiritual problem...You should probably go to church more often, you know, give yourself something to hang onto. Just don't become obsessed with it, that's a common symptom of sch-Nevermind."  
  
At that moment something slimey flew out of the fog onto Davis's head, digging claws into his eyes and ears. Before he had time to respond in any way, he snapped awake.  
  
* * * *  
  
Halloween Special Commercial Break!  
  
It's Halloween and Matt's handing out candy. The doorbell rings and he opens the door. Fourteen hotdogs (really the Digimon and Garz and Zarg) hold out bags and yell "Trick-or-Treat!" Matt screams and quickly slams the door shut.  
  
Matt (looks nervously around the room): I did NOT just see that!  
  
He opens the door and they repeat "Trick-or-Treat!" He drops the bowl of candy and starts digging in his pockets.  
Matt: Gum, gum! I NEED the GUM!  
  
Gabumon: Woah, chill, Matt, it's just us!  
  
Agumon: Yeah, lighten up!  
  
Matt (With scary cat eyes and steam coming out of his ears): Okay, who put you up to this!? Was it Tai?!  
  
Garz and Zarg raise their hands.  
Garz: Actually, it was our idea.  
Zarg: Yeah, nice joke, huh? We sure got you good!  
  
Matt: That does it! I can't take anymore of these STUPID HOT DOG JOKES!  
(Matt chases Garz and Zarg down the hallway and out of sight, screaming a war-cry. The Digimon stare after them with wide eyes. They blink in unison)  
  
Gomamon: Wow! Hey, guys, look at all this candy Matt dropped!  
  
They shovel candy in their bags and skip away happily, humming the Digimon theme song.  
  
* * * *  
  
Little blue balls of light hovered in front of Davis's eyes, spinning wildly, shooting off sparks. He rubbed his eyes madly, but they didn't go away for a few minutes. "What was that?" he croaked.  
  
Surprisingly, a voice answered back. "It was me, you blue dog, you. Welcome to the world of 'You're Mentally Insane'. I'll be your tourguide for today..."  
  
"Who are you?" He demanded in a whisper.  
  
"Your great-aunt, thirice removed. Duh, who do you think?"  
  
"Well, I don't know, that's why I-"  
  
"CHAOS!" the voice boomed, filling his mind, interrupting all intelligent thoughts. He flinched and threw up his arms in defense against this invisible thing.  
  
Then, silence. He could feel it there still, sitting on his head. It said no more to him, so he got up and wobbled into the bathroom.  
  
When he looked into the mirror, he could barely belive that poor person was actually himself. He'd changed as much on the outside as on the inside; the emptiness screamed in his eyes, the pain etched on his face in an almost permentant grimace. He looked so thin, so pale. How could he explain to anyone the loss of twenty pounds in two days? He had school the next day, didn't he? What day was it? He seemed to have lost all track of time.  
  
Suddenly, he realized he'd stared at himself for over an hour, lost in whirling, unconnected thoughts. He shuddered and dared to venture out into the living room. June was on the phone, his parents nowhere in sight. He lingered in the doorway, confused. He searched hard for his voice before asking, "W-what time is it?"  
  
His sister quickly ended her conversation and smiled fakely, "It's about time you got up, you've slept all day."  
  
He bit his lip and gripped the doorframe, panic overwhelming him. "I missed school?!"  
  
Upon seeing her little brother about to have a panic attack, June swooped him in a bear-hug. "It's okay, I told Mom and Dad you weren't feeling well and they called you in sick!" She released him but forced him to look into her eyes. "Matt told me what happened."  
  
He winced and tried to shrink away, but her hand firmly gripped his shoulder. He couldn't tell by her tone what she thought of his actions, but he felt as though she'd hit him. He looked down and away, whimpering, "I'm so sorry."  
  
She gently fluffed his untamed hair. Tears glittered in her eyes as she whispered, "There's nothing you could have done."  
  
"I could have let her kill me!" He exploded, breaking free of her grasp. "That would have been the honorable thing to do. But NO! I am a coward. I sold part of my soul so I could exist just that much longer. But what kind of existance is this? I'm only half a person!"  
  
June hesitated, "Wether you realize it or not, a lot of people care about you. They would be very sad if you died, especially all alone in the Digital World."  
  
His eyes glazed over again in the effort of recalling the moment, "But I hurt my friends. They'll never forgive me."  
  
"They already have, Davis."  
  
He slowly shook his head. "TK and Kari never will."  
  
"Yeah, well that's their loss, then. You are a wonderful person. Even though sometimes (and I say this lovingly) you were a jerk, you understand now. You've come so far in this short amount of time, and...I'm proud. I'm sorry it cost you so much to grow up, but...Isn't this better? You know the world. Your illusion is gone, this is who you really are. You can see things clearly, can't you?"  
  
That sounded unbelievingly cold. She didn't understand either. After a long akward pause, he grabbed a jacket and slung it over his shoulder. "Yeah, all too clearly. I'm going out for a walk. I need some fresh air to fill my empty head."  
  
She didn't object as he slammed the door in her face. She stared at it for a soild minute, then swiftly hit redial. "Matt? He's worse than I thought."  
  
* * * *  
  
Davis was still in his dirty clothes from the day before. If he had been in pajamas, he wouldn't have cared less. He picked a random direction. Where he was going, he didn't really care.  
  
He found himself at a playground. He stared unthinkingly at it for a while before collapsing in a swing. There were no children; the place looked abandoned and forgotten. The setting sun turned the sky orange, and purple was decending rapidly. A cool wind brushed the hair away from his face and his eyes filled with tears. It seemed so peaceful, so nice. He wrapped his arms around himself and sobbed.  
  
"So I'm not the only one who comes here to think," a voice from behind him called softly.  
  
Davis's eyes snapped open. "Ken?"  
  
Ken sat down next to him, but didn't say anything.  
  
"Nice hair," Davis said as lightly as he could given he felt like crap.  
  
Ken's hand went to the tangled mess atop his head. "Thanks, I call it the Digimon Emperor look. Doesn't really suit me anymore, but I couldn't comb it out. It'll go away after a while, I hope."  
  
Davis snorted and hastily whipped the tears from his eyes. "You sound like how I feel."  
  
"Weak? Tired? Frustrated?"  
  
"That would be choice D, all of the above."  
  
"Uh-huh."  
  
There was a long, akward pause.  
  
"So, uh," Davis started, "What brings you here?"  
  
"I come here to think sometimes, and you?"  
  
"I don't know. I needed to get out, and ended up here."  
  
"Ah, I know how that goes." Another pause. Ken looked up into the rapidly darkening sky and sighed. "I never thought I could become corrupted by the forces of good. That's something that never happens on TV."  
  
"You didn't-"  
  
"Oh, but I came close. I had the power to do anything I wanted! You can't imagine how tempting that was. I felt like a god, or something dangerous like that. Now I've swung both directions. It basically comes down to how the power is handled that separates the evil from the holy. I could have become so much worse than when I was the Emperor. I could have been worse than Keesma." He shuttered at the thought. "I'm glad I gave it up, but it wasn't easy. It's the hardest thing I've ever done, hands down."  
  
Davis looked at him with nothing but total respect. "I couldn't have done it."  
  
"YOU don't give yourself enough credit."  
  
"But...I couldn't even die honorably when I had the chance. I took the coward's way out."  
  
"You can't dwell on one bad moment for the rest of your life. You can make things better."  
  
Davis opened his mouth to say something else, but he never got it out because suddenly...  
  
*Flash*  
  
"Oh no!"  
  
"What?" Then Ken felt the flash too. He put a hand to the side of his head. "Demons?...And they're not far away."  
  
They tore out of there, guided by their new demon-finding instinct. Davis felt a sicking chill come over him. "I think we're headed towards my home!"  
  
And to his dread, they were. He threw open the unlocked door, prepared to find the nasty demons murdering his sister. However, the apartment was calm and quiet.   
  
It was also empty. "June?"  
  
Nothing.  
  
Ken looked inside. "Where are your parents?"  
  
"They have social lives, Ken. I'm sorry if that shocks you." Then he winced, "Sorry."  
  
*Flash*  
  
They stared at each other.  
  
"Let's go."  
  
"Right."  
  
Back out into the street. "Do you think your sister went on a walk?"  
  
"At night? By herself? It must have been pretty important."  
  
* * * *  
  
Matt ran a hand nervously through his hair and checked his watch. "How long does it take for her to get over here? I knew I should have picked her up."  
  
He paused and laughed at himself. "How long have I felt this way? What? Two days? This is insane! It feels so normal."  
  
*Flash*   
  
He gasped, somehow knowing exactly what had happened. "I definately should have picked her up."  
  
He didn't even bother scribbling a note for his dad (who was working late, of course). Matt knew he would understand.  
  
* * * *  
  
June nervously wrapped her arms around herself and shuddered. She shouldn't have panicked like that. But she worried about her brother. Now a dense fog surrounded her, confusing her sense of direction. It gave her the creeps.  
  
"Well, well, well," an inhuman voice called, making her jump. A tough-looking group of teenagers emerged from the mist. Their eyes glowed red. "Look, it's a girl. And it appears she's all alone!"  
  
"How unfortunate! What should we do with her?"  
  
"Isn't it obvious? Get her!"  
  
As they backed her into the wall, a figure leapt out of the fog to protect her. "Oh no you don't!"  
  
"Matt?"  
  
"Stay back!" Matt warned.  
  
"What are you going to do to us, pretty-boy?"  
  
He blasted the leader with an icy blast, freezing him to the spot. The others looked outraged, but not at all surprised. "He's one of them! He's a Protector!"  
  
Suddenly, twelve hideous monsters erupted from the teenagers.  
  
June screamed. Not far off Davis and Ken heard her.  
  
"Morph Digivolve!" Matt transformed into Garurumon and growled a warning.  
  
"Charge!"  
  
Matt fought with all his might, but there were just too many of them.  
  
Ken and Davis rounded the corner to find him beatten. "Protect June!" He huffed.  
  
"I'll carry her to saftey. You help fight them off. Morph Digivolve!" Ken transformed into Stingmon and scooped up June. She fainted as he flew away.  
  
One of the demons spotted Davis watching Ken fly off. "He's the weak one. Let's take him out!"  
  
They rushed at him. He opened his mouth to Morph Digivolve, but the thing in his head yelled, "Oh, no you don't!"  
  
He blinked, and found himself at school. He looked around and spotted himself at a locker. This was an healthier, happier Davis. He looked to be about 18, a Senior. Obviously, judging by the jersey, he was on the soccer team, about to play a game. Everyone who walked by wished him luck, and he thanked every person with a charming smile. After about twelve seconds of watching this bizare scene, a girl trotted up behind him and gave him a surprise hug. This girl wasn't Kari, but she looked familiar. In fact, he realized, she was Chaos. Hoping they couldn't see him, he got closer. Closer than he wanted, because Chaos kissed the other Davis. He felt empty inside watching them, longing to be that happy.  
  
He turned to leave, and found himself in a church. The pews were full of family and friends. White candles and flowers decorated everything, light organ music played. With a wave of sickening dread, he realized he was watching his own wedding. To her. Oh, she looked beautiful coming down the isle...So much more beautiful than Kari could ever be. He groaned and hid his eyes in shame. Chaos, the REAL Chaos, laughed inside his head. "This is what you would have had if things had played out differently, Friend. She was your soul-mate!"  
  
With a jerk, he woke up.  
  
"What? What's wrong?" Amy asked.  
  
He stared at his wife for a moment and laughed as the truth dawned on him. "A dream. I had a nightmare!"  
  
"What happened in it? The way you screamed, I thought the house was on fire, or...something."  
  
He took a deep breath and released it with relief. He felt as if a giant weight had been lifted from him. "You were in it."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Yeah. You were possessed by the embodiment of Ch-"  
  
*Snap* Davis blinked and found himself in cold reality.  
  
"Stop!" Matt growled, "The battle's over."  
  
Though he had no memory of it, he'd Morph Digivolved. Twelve teens lay fallen and beatten around him. He tasted blood.  
  
He hung his great wolf's head, greif once again gripping his heart. He had truely felt free for one glorious moment. The memory of it taunted him. "What happened?"  
  
"You don't remember?"  
  
"Ugh...no." He couldn't explain. He could barely talk.  
  
"You went crazy. Took 'em all out practically single-handedly. Ken came back at the last minute and drove the demons out of them. I'm surprised you didn't kill them."  
  
He looked from Matt to Ken. Neither one had de-Digivolved, probably to keep him in check. "Where's June?"  
  
"Here I am!" June ran out of the shadows and flung her arms around his neck, not caring he was still a giant wolf. "I was so worried!"  
  
Davis de-Digivolved, fell to his knees and broke down in tears. "I'm sorry I worried you! I wasn't thinking."  
  
She cried too. "I wasn't either!"  
  
"I'm just glad you're okay!"  
  
Matt de-Digivolved and sighed, brushing the dirt off his pants. "I have a feeling this sorta thing will be common-place from now on."  
  
June gasped. "Are you still thinking about going to go to America now that all this has happened?"  
  
He winced, "I think they need me more than anything. All the American Digidestined are in the Digital World; the country is helpless. There's Mimi, but she's in New York. I would secure the other coast. I-I have a feeling it's the will of the Powers for me to be there."  
  
Ken shook his head as he also de-Digivolved. "Oh, boy. Won't this just be fun? I'm personally longing for Paradise, how 'bout you guys?"  
  
  
  
  
*End of Season 1* 


End file.
